Hank Azaria Reveals More About His Decision To Stop Voicing 'The Simpsons' Apu

Hank Azaria is opening up about his decision to stop voicing Apu on The Simpsons.

“Once I realized that that was the way this character was thought of, I just didn’t want to participate in it anymore,” the 55-year-old actor told The New York Times in a new interview. “It just didn’t feel right.”

Hank had voiced the character since his introduction on the long running show in 1990.

Viewers and fans of the show have had longtime issues with the Indian character being voiced by a white man, and the 2017 documentary The Problem With Apu focused in on how people perceive Indian people.

“What happened with this character is a window into an important issue,” he adds. “It’s a good way to start the conversation. I can be accountable and try to make up for it as best I can.”

Hank also shared that after the documentary was released he spent several years reading articles and essays about representation and attending “seminars about racism and social consciousness.”

The Simpsons have just recently been renewed for two more seasons.