‘Simpsons’ Actor Hank Azaria Apologizes to ‘Every Single Indian Person in This Country’ for Voicing Apu

The Simpsons actor Hank Azaria, the white actor who voiced the show’s long-running Indian character, Apu, says that he feels the need “to go to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologize” for his “participation in racism.”

“It’s practically a slur at this point,” Azaria said of the Simpsons character during a recent interview on the Armchair Expert podcast with hosts Dax Shepard and Monica Padman.

The actor added that it “took a while” for him to realize his so-called “participation in racism,” or “a racist practice.”

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“I know it’s just a cartoon character, but is this representative of a true example of structural racism, at least as it relates to show business, in this country?” the actor added, recalling the questions he asked himself back when he was still trying to figure out whether he was participating in “racism.”

Azaria added that in order to educate himself, he read, “talked to a lot of Indian people,” took seminars, and “talked to a lot of people who knew a lot about racism in this country.”

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“Part of me feels like I need to go to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologize,” the actor added. “And sometimes I do when it comes up.”

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Azaria stepped down from voicing Apu last year, more than two years after accusations of racism marred the long-running animated series.

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