Hank Azaria’s Apu apology is bad news for actors who ‘give good foreign’
The Simpsons actor is one of many stars to make a good career from playing any ethnicity they choose. But times have changed
Apu, as voiced by Hank Azaria in The Simpsons
Credit: Fox
Because it was so funny the Simpsons for years got a free pass when it came to its questionable treatment of race. That era is assuredly at an end. Hank Azaria this week was offering a mea culpa once again for his voice work as “Indian” Kwik-E-Mart proprietor Apu. “Part of me feels like I need to go around to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologise,” Azaria said on Dax Shepherd’s Armchair Expert podcast.
Hank Azaria apologizes for his portrayal of Indian character Apu on ‘The Simpsons’
Updated Apr 14, 2021;
Posted Apr 14, 2021
FILE - In this May 31, 2017 file photo, Hank Azaria arrives at the Brockmire and Documentary Now! For Your Consideration event in Los Angeles.Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
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Hank Azaria wants to apologize for his portrayal of an Indian character on “The Simpsons.”
For about three decades, Azaria was the voice of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, an Indian immigrant who runs a convenience store on the Fox long-running animated comedy.
Last year he announced he would no longer portray the character amid criticism that Apu’s voice reinforced racial stereotypes.
Hank Azaria apologises for racist The Simpsons character Apu
13 Apr, 2021 10:32 PM
3 minutes to read
news.com.au
Hank Azaria, the actor who has voiced The Simpsons character Apu for three decades, has apologised for his portrayal s racist connotations.
The Indian convenience store clerk was a much-loved fixture in the cartoon series, but criticism emerged in 2017 that the show s producers had for decades relied on offensive stereotypes.
Apu was sidelined and Azaria announced last January that he would no longer voice the character.
Apu, store owner from TV Series The Simpsons. Photo / New York Times
Now, he has issued an apology for his involvement in the hurt felt by the Indian community, telling Dax Shepherd s Armchair Expert podcast: Just because there were good intentions it doesn t mean there weren t real negative consequences to the thing that I am accountable for.
Hank Azaria apologises for voicing Apu on The Simpsons amid racial insensitivity claims
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For most of The Simpsons run, Apu was voiced by Hank Azaria.
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Hank Azaria, the famed voice actor behind several characters on The Simpsons, has publicly apologised for voicing the character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, which he described as an offensive Indian stereotype.
Key points:
The long-running voice of Apu in the Simpsons says he wants to apologise to every Indian in the country
Hank Azaria stopped voicing Apu last year
The show has previously announced white actors would no longer voice non-white characters
Hank Azaria wants to apologize for this portrayal of an Indian character on âThe Simpsons.â
For about three decades, Azaria was the voice of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, an Indian immigrant who runs a convenience store on the Fox long-running animated comedy.
Last year he announced he would no longer portray the character amid criticism that Apuâs voice reinforced racial stereotypes.
This week, speaking with actor and podcast host Dax Shepard in the latest episode of âArmchair Expert,â Azaria opened up about his journey to understanding why the character is problematic and why his portrayal was seen as offensive.
âI needed to look at my part. I went and learned,â he told Shepard and co-host Monica Padman.