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Hank Azaria on what he’s learned about life, race and comedy over decades on ‘The Simpsons’ and beyond

(NewsNation Now) —From “The Simpsons” to “Friends” to “Mad About You,” Hank Azaria has been making people laugh for decades. Whether on TV or on the big screen, there’s no mistaking him or his voice.

That voice was previously the center of controversy, as Azaria faced criticism for the character Apu in The Simpsons and ultimately stopped voicing him in January 2020.


“Eventually, I came out on the side that actually there was some harm done; with the best of intentions, no matter how funny it was and much love I tried to put into it,” Azaria said.

His newest endeavor is a podcast where he reprises a character he played on TV, the bawdy baseball announcer Jim Brockmire, to interview big names in sports and entertainment. 

Azaria spoke with Ashleigh Banfield about how he discovers so many unique characters, his “journey” exploring race and representation which led him to stop voicing Apu and more.

Watch “Banfield” weeknights at 10/9c on NewsNation.