Names and faces

■ Hank Azaria is ready to stop voicing Kwik-EMart owner Apu on The Simpsons in the wake of criticism that it’s a stereotype. Azaria said on Tuesday’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that he hopes the Fox animated show makes a change, and he’s willing to step aside if necessary. Azaria said: “I’m perfectly willing and happy to step aside or help transition it into something new. I really hope that’s what The Simpsons does.” He added: “It just feels like the right thing to do.” People of South Asian heritage have criticized the heavily accented Apu for reinforcing stereotypes that they say lead to bullying and self-loathing. Azaria said it makes him sad if anyone was bullied because of Apu. He said he “wanted to spread laughter and joy with this character.”

■ Oliver Stone, making his first-ever visit to Iran, labeled the United States a global “outlaw” that has made a mess of the Middle East. The director of JFK and Platoon spoke at a news conference Wednesday in Tehran during his visit to the country, where he attended an international film festival. Stone reprised his criticism of the 2003 Iraq war and suggested that the U.S. has acted similarly in Libya and Syria, saying: “We are outlaws, we’re doing something that is outlawed internationally, we had no permission to invade Iraq from the U.N., we did it, and we continue to do this.” He went on to say that “national security has trumped artistic freedom,” claiming “you cannot make a film critical of the United States’ foreign policy.” His remarks drew applause.

Azaria

Stone