Who is Apu in The Simpsons?

The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom that first aired in 1989 and is an important part of pop culture. The show follows the lives of the Simpsons family, who live in the fictional town of Springfield. It is known for its satire, humor, and commentary on everyday life, politics, and society. Over 36 seasons, the show's characters have become household names and have gained a big fan following.

Over the years, the show has introduced many characters, one of whom is Apu. His character was introduced in the first season. Although many fans liked Apu at first for his humor and personality, his character also sparked controversy over the years. Over time, some people criticized Apu's character for promoting South Asian stereotypes. Let’s take a look at Apu’s character and the actor who voices him.

Who is Apu in The Simpsons?

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is a recurring character in the show. He is the owner of the Kwik-E-Mart, a convenience store in the fictional town of Springfield. Apu is an Indian immigrant from Rahmatpur, West Bengal, and is known for his stereotypical Indian accent. He is hard-working, intelligent, sometimes overly enthusiastic, and is known for his catchphrase, “Thank you, come again!”

Apu has a Ph.D. in computer science from the Calcutta Technical Institute and was the top student in his class of seven million. Even with his education, he stayed in the United States after his student visa expired and worked at the Kwik-E-Mart to pay off his student loans. Later, he became a United States citizen. Apu is known for his work ethic, and he often works for long hours at his store. He is a family man, as he had an arranged marriage with Manjula, and they have 8 children together.

Over time, Apu became controversial because people felt that his character portrayed negative stereotypes about South Asians. This criticism was highlighted in the 2017 documentary The Problem with Apu by comedian Hari Kondabolu. Because of the backlash, Hank Azaria, who voiced Apu, announced in January 2020 that he would no longer voice the character. In NPR’s Code Switch podcast, Azaria said, “Through my role in Apu and what I created in Hollywood messaging… I helped to create a pretty marginalizing, dehumanizing stereotype.”

Who voices Apu in The Simpsons?

Hank Azaria is the voice of Apu in The Simpsons. He is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, and producer, born on April 25, 1964, in New York City, United States. He studied drama at Tufts University and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He began his acting career with a minor appearance in the show Joe Bash in 1986. He made his film debut in 1990 with the film Pretty Woman, where he played the role of Detective Albertson.

He got his breakthrough when he joined The Simpsons in 1989, where he gave voices to many characters like Moe, Chief Wiggum, Apu, and Comic Book Guy. He won 5 Primetime Emmy Awards for his performance in the show. In 1996, he played the role of Agador Spartacus in the film The Birdcage. He won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role in the film. In 2005, he received nominations from the Screen Actors Guild and the Primetime Emmy Awards for his performance in the show Huff (2004-2006).

Apart from that, he worked in shows like Herman's Head (1991-1994), Friends (1994-2003), Mad About You (1995-1999), Free Agents (2011), Ray Donovan (2014-2016), Brockmire (2017-2020), Hello Tomorrow! (2023), etc. He also worked in films like The Birdcage (1996), Godzilla (1998), Night at the Museum films (2006-2014), Zookeeper (2011), The Smurfs (2011), The Smurfs 2 (2013), etc.