Hank Azaria Says He's "Willing And Happy" To Step Aside As Voice Of Apu On 'The Simpsons'

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Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of debate over the character of Apu on “The Simpsons.” After the character’s problematic nature was brought to light recently, with the help of the documentary “The Problem with Apu,” many fans have been waiting to see how the animated sitcom dealt with the issue. And when the sitcom kinda, sorta made light of the issue in a recent episode, people were less-than-pleased.

Well, the man at the center of it all, voice actor Hank Azaria, has come out and talked about the issue in a very matter-of-fact way. In an interview with Stephen Colbert, Azaria, who is definitely not of South Asian descent, began by talking about how he understands the controversy, and how his mindset over the character has changed recently

“I have given this a lot of thought, and as I say my eyes have been opened. I think the most important thing is we have to listen to South Asian people, Indian people in this country when they talk about what they feel, how they think about this character, and what their American experience of it has been,” said Azaria.

“Listening to voices means inclusion in the writer’s room. I really want to see Indians, 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,” he continued.

This is when the actor offers up a solution that would go towards fixing the situation. “I’m perfectly willing and happy to step aside,” Azaria said. “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.”

Of course, no one really knows what “The Simpsons” will do. The showrunner, Al Jean, was vocal before the controversial episode aired recently, tweeting that he knew the show would cause a bit of an uproar. However, since then, he’s offered up an apology and said they would look for a way to fix the problem.

Perhaps the easiest, and best, solution, for now, is to listen to the actor behind the role. One person who agrees with Azaria is filmmaker and comedian Hari Kondabolu, who is responsible for the film “The Problem with Apu.” He tweeted, “Thank you, @HankAzaria. I appreciate what you said & how you said it.”