Hank Azaria Willing To Stop Playing Apu After Simpsons Controversy

Hank Azaria was a guest on The Late Show last night where he spoke with Stephen Colbert about the recent controversy surrounding his character Apu on The Simpsons. The character has been accused of perpetuating racist Indian stereotypes. The show itself weighed in on the controversy earlier this month. During that episode, Lisa referred to it as “something that started out decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect,” before looking at a photo of Apu. The scene was negatively received and showrunner Al Jean later said that they would find “an answer that is popular [and] more important.”

TVLine reports that when talking to Colbert, Azaria stated that he didn’t know Apu would be referenced on the April 8 episode and he didn’t agree with the response.

He said: “If anybody came away from that segment feeling like they should lighten up or take a joke better or grow a thicker skin… that’s certainly not the way I feel about it. It’s definitely not the message that I want to send.”

He said that “we have to listen” when South Asian and Indian people talk about Apu, and said he hopes the show is more diverse in the future. Finally, he added that he would be willing to step down from the role if it helped things become more inclusive.

He added “I really want to see Indian and South Asian writers in the room — not in a token way, but genuinely informing whatever new direction this character may take, including how it is voiced or not voiced. 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. It not only makes sense, but it just feels like the right thing to do to me.”