The Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria has apologised "to every single Indian person" for his portrayal of the character Apu.
Azaria, a white American, had voiced Indian immigrant Apu Nahasapeemapetilon since 1990, but announced he would be stepping away from the role in early 2020.
Both the character of Apu and The Simpsons itself have been under mounting pressure since 2017, when Indian-American comic Hari Kondabolu released a documentary called The Problem with Apu, which argued that the Kwik-E-Mart owner was the result of problematic racial stereotypes deeply embedded into American culture.
Now, Azaria has said he's willing to be held accountable for the "negative consequences" of his time as Apu. Speaking to actors Dax Shepard and Monica Padman on a recent episode of the Armchair Expert podcast, Azaria said he believes, despite the show's intentions, many of its characters contributed to "structural racism" in the US.
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"I really didn't know any better," he said. "I didn't think about it. I was unaware how much relative advantage I had received in this country as a white kid from Queens. Just because there were good intentions it doesn't mean there weren't real negative consequences to the thing that I am accountable for."
The actor then extended an apology to Padman, an Indian American. "I really do apologise," he said. "I know you weren't asking for that but it's important. I apologise for my part in creating that and participating in that. Part of me feels I need to go round to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologise."
Apu's portrayal had been the subject of criticism for years before 2017, of course, but Kondabolu's documentary was something of a turning point in the discussion. Azaria, who made the choice to move away from the role, said at the time that once he realised the way in which the character was though of, he didn't want to participate anymore.
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While Azaria will no longer voice Apu, he will remain a part of The Simpsons in roles such as Moe Szyslak and Chief Wiggum. Meanwhile, the show's creator Matt Groening has suggested he has plans for Apu moving forward and that he's still proud of the character.
Featured Image Credit: 20th Century FoxTopics: GAMING, News, the simpsons, TV