Hank Azaria willing to ‘step aside’ from The Simpsons role after controversy

Hank Azaria is willing to “step aside” from The Simpsons following the controversy his portrayal of Indian shop clerk Apu Nahasapeemapetilon has caused.
The 54-year-old actor voices Apu, as well as Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum and many more characters, in the hit animated U.S. TV series, but his portrayal has been shrouded with controversy since stand-up comedian Hari Kondabolu criticised the character’s representation – such as his over-the-top accent and exaggerated mannerisms – in documentary The Problem With Apu.
Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night (24Apr18), Hank addressed the controversy, and said he would step aside from the part if that’s the right thing to do.
“I’m perfectly willing to step aside. It just feels like the right thing to do to me,” he said, adding that 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.”
Apologising to anyone who was “hurt and offended” by his depiction of Apu, Hank added: “The idea that anyone young or old, past or present, being bullied based on Apu really makes me sad.”
The Simpsons attempted to address the controversy in recent episode No Good Read Goes Unpunished, when Marge Simpson tried to alter a book she was reading to make it less offensive as she read to daughter Lisa. Lisa then addressed the camera and said: “Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?”
However, many took to social media to criticise the way writers had handled the issue, and Hank insisted 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),” Hank 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.”
And to change things going forward, Hank added he’d love to see “Indian, South Asian writers in the writers room”.
Following Hank’s interview on The Late Show, Hari took to Twitter to praise him, writing: “Thank you, @HankAzaria. I appreciate what you said & how you said it.”