Hank Azaria: The Simpsons will “definitely address” criticism over the Apu character

TV Guide

Azaria didn’t say if The Simpsons reached out to comedian Hari Kondabolu to discuss Apu after his The Problem with Apu documentary made headlines. But Azaria said at the TV press tour, while promoting Brockmire for IFC, that “they will definitely address, maybe publicly but certainly creatively within the context of the show, what they want to do, if anything, differently with the character.” Azaria also said he’s been thinking a lot about the criticism about the Indian immigrant character. "The idea that anybody, young or old, past or present, was bullied or teased — or worse — based on the character of Apu on The Simpsons, or the voice or any other tropes of the character is distressing, especially in post-9/11 America," he said. "The idea that anybody was marginalized based on it or had a time was very upsetting to me personally and professionally."