« It’s practically a slur at this point, » Azaria said on the character on a new podcast.
Hank Azaria, the White actor who famously voiced the controversial on « The Simpsons, » says he wants to apologize to « every single Indian person » for the character’s racist portrayal. The show, which has fueled racial stereotypes of Indian immigrants for decades through the Springfield Kwik-E-Mart owner, has faced backlash for years, heightened by the 2017 documentary, « The Problem with Apu. » Azaria felt the brunt of the backlash for voicing a person of color with a fake Indian accent. Speaking on Dax Shepard and Monica Padman’s podcast » Armchair Expert » on Monday, Azaria said that he spent time listening and learning about the character and his role in perpetuating racism before ultimately stepping away from the role. He said he « really didn’t know any better » before. He credited getting sober as an important factor in recognizing the damaging nature of the character and having the tools to address it.
