Azaria ‘willing to step aside’ as voice of Apu
Hank Azaria is willing to “step aside” from The Simpsons after the controversy his portrayal of Indian shop clerk Apu has caused.
Azaria, 54, voices
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, as well as
Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum and many other characters in the hit animated series. But his portrayal has been marked by controversy since standup comedian Hari Kondabolu criticized the character’s representation — such as his over-the-top accent and exaggerated mannerisms — in the documentary The Problem With Apu.
Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Tuesday night, Azaria addressed the controversy.
“I’m perfectly willing to step aside. It just feels like the right thing to do to me,” he said, adding it was never his intention to offend anyone with the portrayal. “I’ve given this a lot of thought and, as I say, my eyes have been opened.”
Apologizing to anyone who was “hurt and offended” by his depic- tion of Apu, he said: “The idea (of ) anyone young or old, past or present being bullied based on Apu really makes me sad.” The Simpsons attempted to address the controversy in the recent episode No Good Read Goes Unpunished, when Marge Simpson tries to alter a book to make it less offensive as she reads to daughter Lisa. Lisa then addresses the camera and says: “Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?”
But many took to social media to criticize the way writers had handled the issue and Azaria said he had nothing to do with the decision about how to broach the subject.
“I had nothing to do with the writing or the voicing (in that episode),” he said. “I think if anyone came away from that segment thinking they need to lighten up ... that’s definitely not the message that I want to send.”