{"id":938372,"date":"2026-10-19T03:50:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T03:50:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/938372\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T03:50:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T03:50:09","slug":"the-simpsons-brings-back-apu-new-voice-is-played-by-sunil-malhotra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/938372\/","title":{"rendered":"‘The Simpsons’ Brings Back Apu, New Voice Is Played By Sunil Malhotra"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tSPOILER ALERT: This article contains major spoilers for the Oct. 18 episode of \u201cThe Simpsons<\/a>,\u201d \u201cThe Revengening,\u201d which aired Sunday night on Fox.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe Simpsons\u201d has pulled off its own October surprise: Apu<\/a> Nahasapeemapetilon is back. The fan favorite character finally spoke again for the first time in nearly a decade on Sunday night\u2019s episode, \u201cThe Revengening.\u201d Variety has exclusively learned who is behind Apu\u2019s new voice: actor and voice-over vet Sunil Malhotra<\/a> (\u201cGrey\u2019s Anatomy,\u201d \u201cThe Legend of Korra\u201d).<\/p>\n

\n\tMalhotra\u2019s hiring and the return of Apu \u2014 who has been seen, but not heard on \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d since the October 2017 episode \u201cThe Serfsons\u201d \u2014 was a closely guarded secret inside \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d universe. Fox didn\u2019t share a screener for \u201cThe Revengening,\u201d and producers kept both the episode\u2019s table read and its subsequent production under tight protocols (including NDAs for all involved).<\/p>\n

\n\tAlso heard on Sunday\u2019s episode was the debut of Janina Gavankar (\u201cThe Morning Show\u201d) as Apu\u2019s wife, Manjula. And now that Apu is back and the Kwik-E-Mart has reopened, executive producer Matt Selman said both characters and the Nahasapeemapetilon family will once again be seen (and heard) on \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d more often.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe love this character, and wanted to bring him back in a smart, \u2018Simpsons\u2019-y way that allowed him to evolve,\u201d Selman said. \u201cWe\u2019re excited by what Sunil has already brought to the role, and look forward to seeing more of Apu in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHank Azaria<\/a> previously voiced Apu, a character that has been controversial over the years due to its stereotypical portrayal of a South Asian convenience store clerk. The issue of Apu was the centerpiece of the 2017 documentary \u201cThe Problem With Apu,\u201d in which comedian Hari Kondabolu discussed the impact the character has had on people of South Asian descent.<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter that doc made waves \u2014 including in \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d writers\u2019 room, where it was screened and discussed \u2014 Azaria announced that he would no longer voice Apu. \u201cI apologize for my part in creating that and participating in that,\u201d Azaria said in 2021 on Dax Shepard\u2019s podcast \u201cArmchair Expert.\u201d \u201cPart of me feels like I need to go to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologize. And sometimes I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIn the aftermath, Apu was shifted to the background on \u201cThe Simpsons,\u201d as producers decided how to handle the character going forward. For years, that meant Apu would still occasionally be seen in Springfield, but never heard.<\/p>\n

\n\tUntil now. The idea of bringing back Apu this way, as one of this year\u2019s Halloween-themed episodes, came from staffer Nick Dahan (who\u2019s the credited writer on \u201cThe Revengening\u201d) and co-executive producer Cesar Mazariegos. After hearing their pitch, Selman said he thought it was \u201ca brilliant way\u201d to bring Apu back and reference the entire situation. <\/p>\n

\n\tVoice actor Malhotra said he took time to look into what it would mean to take over Apu and talked to the producers to make sure the character was more culturally appropriate.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWhen my agent called me about a \u2018Simpsons\u2019 audition, I knew exactly what role it was for, and the idea actually made my stomach sink,\u201d he said. \u201cBut admittedly, part of me was also curious. It had been eight years since Apu had spoken on the show, and it got me thinking: Did the writers\u2019 room look different now? Could they bring him back in a way that acknowledged and apologized for past mistakes? Could I make the character my own, and reclaim him in some way? And could they achieve all of that in an unmistakably \u2018Simpsons\u2019 way that didn\u2019t disappoint fans?<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWhether the producers knew it or not, I was prepared to walk away,\u201d he continued. Malhotra said that he declined his very first \u201cprofessional job offer 28 years ago\u201d because it would have required him to play a stereotypical \u201cHindu guy,\u201d adding that playing such a caricature \u201cto be the butt of the joke wasn\u2019t something I was willing to do, and I\u2019ve turned down similar work multiple times since.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBut as Malhotra got further down the road with \u201cThe Simpsons,\u201d he said, he began engaging with the producers about their plans for Apu before he would commit to the role, where he was promised that the return of Apu was being handled with the utmost care.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cMy callback was the first of many times that no one at \u2018The Simpsons\u2019 let me down,\u201d he said. \u201cI told casting that I\u2019d only consider an offer if I could meet showrunner Matt Selman and co-executive producer Cesar Mazariegos, both of whom gladly did so. It was the beginning of a deeply collaborative experience that I hope is equally satisfying for longtime fans of \u2018The Simpsons\u2019 and for other South Asian kids who, like me, stopped watching at some point along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIn \u201cThe Revengening,\u201d a spooky lead-up to next week\u2019s \u201cTreehouse of Horror XXXVII,\u201d a man in a \u201cDaft Monk\u201d Halloween costume (as in, a Daft Punk helmet and monastic robe \u2014 wordplay!) is accidentally killed over and over again by Springfield residents all over town. A year later, \u201cDaft Monk\u201d is still alive, and getting his revenge by taking out his would-be killers, one by one.<\/p>\n

\n\tEventually \u201cDaft Monk\u201d summons the townspeople to Springfield City Hall, where he takes his helmet off and reveals that he\u2019s actually Apu.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI\u2019d be lying if I didn\u2019t say that the sweetest part of all was unleashing that righteously rage-fueled \u201cI AM APU!\u201d \u2014 on behalf of so many of us \u2014 over and over in the studio until we got it just right,\u201d Malhotra said. \u201cI really feel like we did and I can\u2019t wait for fans to see more Apu.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tApu then shares his backstory: After he was nearly killed dozens of times, he wound up on \u201cThe Island of Forgotten Garbage,\u201d where he\u2019s healed by \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d quack Dr. Nick (who also has been seen sparingly in recent years, and is now voiced by Eric Lopez, who previously also took over as Bumblebee Man). <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cAll the junk Springfield gets rid of winds up here,\u201d he tells Apu, \u201clike you \u2026 If you wound up here, it\u2019s for a reason, right, Leon?\u201d (Out pops the character that Michael Jackson played in the Season 3 episode \u201cStark Raving Mad,\u201d which was pulled from \u201cSimpsons\u201d rotation in 2019 after the doc \u201cLeaving Neverland\u201d showcased more allegations against the late pop star.)<\/p>\n

\n\tSays Apu before he reveals himself: \u201cI am the man you left for dead. I am the one you pretended never existed!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThen, unmasked, he tells the Springfield crowd: \u201cIt would have been so easy to bring me back. I immediately ran home to my family, but they were gone. Then I went to the Kwik-E-Mart, and was shocked to find it abandoned. As I wandered aimlessly through town, no one even noticed me. It was as if I was invisible. That was when I vowed to take my revenge on Springfield.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHe\u2019s about to light City Hall on fire, but Marge Simpson pipes up \u2014 representing the Springfield citizens, but also clearly serving as a mouthpiece for the show\u2019s producers: \u201cApu, we\u2019re so sorry we left you for dead. Believe me, we wanted to do the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBart adds: \u201cBut we were so scared, and just didn\u2019t know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tLenny also chimes in, in a nod to the debates inside \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d writers\u2019 room: \u201cIf it\u2019s any consolation, we had so many internal conversations about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBut, Carl finishes, \u201cAhh, they kind of just didn\u2019t go anywhere.\u201d (And for almost a decade, that\u2019s how \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d never got around to bringing back Apu.)<\/p>\n

\n\tHomer then offers to sacrifice himself to save the rest of the town, and offers this penance to Apu, while reminding viewers how important Apu has been to the makeup of Springfield: \u201cI\u2019m just doing what the old Apu would have done. The guy who loved this town and everyone in it. You were on our bowling teams, our barbershop quartets, our dad rock cover bands. We took you for granted. I took you for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBut before Apu can blow up the town, he wakes up. It turns out it was a nightmare; no one is dead. He\u2019s back in the Kwik E-Mart, and Manjula is there too. So is his No. 1 customer, Homer, who invites him to a Halloween party.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWhat the heck? I\u2019ll do it,\u201d Apu says. \u201cA Halloween party sounds kind of fun. Plus, I feel like I haven\u2019t seen everyone in ages. Oh, but I wish I had a costume.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBut he actually does: There\u2019s a \u201cDaft Monk\u201d costume stashed under the cash register. So was it really a dream? And that\u2019s the end of the episode \u2014\u00a0but Apu is back!<\/p>\n

\n\tThis isn\u2019t the first time \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d writers used their characters to allude to their indecisiveness on what to do with Apu. In the 2018 episode \u201cNo Good Read Goes Unpunished,\u201d Marge begins reading her favorite childhood novel to Lisa, but quickly realizes the old book was a lot more offensive and racist than she remembered. She tries to sanitize it, but \u201cnow it\u2019s as inoffensive as a Sunday in Cincinnati \u2026 what am I supposed to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tLisa then looks at the audience, seemingly addressing \u201cSimpsons\u201d fans: \u201cIt\u2019s hard to say. Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe scene pulls back to reveal a photo of Apu near Lisa\u2019s bed, and it\u2019s obvious they\u2019re no longer talking about a book, but their own show. With Marge also looking straight at viewers, the two suggest that \u201cSome things will be dealt with at a later date \u2026 if at all.\u201d (It should be noted that Apu and his children also appeared in the episode, but did not speak.)<\/p>\n

\n\tIn June 2020, during the post-George Floyd reckoning on race, \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d announced that moving forward, its characters of color would be voiced by culturally appropriate actors. Among the major changes, Alex D\u00e9sert took over as Carl Carlson from Azaria, and Kevin Michael Richardson (who had already been a part of the series cast) became Dr. Julius Hibbert, which was previously Harry Shearer. Now, Apu, with Malhotra taking over, joins that list as well.<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd for several years, the creative team promised that they would address Apu at some point. In 2021, series creator Matt Groening told USA Today that the producers were first seeing if they could make new Apu stories work. \u201cI think the Apu stories are fantastic, and he\u2019s one of the most nuanced characters on a silly two-dimensional cartoon show,\u201d Groening said in the interview.<\/p>\n

\n\tEarly reactions on social media about the return of Apu has already been positive<\/a>: \u201cApu is back thank you Simpsons,\u201d said one. Another<\/a>: \u201cThe Simpsons reveals the new voice for Apu. Representation for Indian Americans. Well played Matt Groening and Dan Castellaneta, Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer, Julie Kavner and Yeardley Smith.\u201d Wrote<\/a> a third: \u201cApu reveal is the greatest thing to happen on the Simpsons in a long time. I missed that genius character!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMeanwhile, Malhotra and Gavankar jointly posted this reveal on their Instagram pages:<\/p>\n

\n\tMalhotra\u2019s recent voice credits include \u201cThe Legend of Vox Machina,\u201d \u201cThe Loud House,\u201d \u201cMonster High,\u201d \u201cThe Casagrandes\u201d and \u201cStar Wars: Tales of the Jedi.\u201d He\u2019s also been heard on video games including \u201cMortal Kombat 1,\u201d \u201cAvatar: The Last Airbender \u2013 Quest of Balance\u201d and \u201cMarvel\u2019s Avengers.\u201d In TV, besides \u201cGrey\u2019s Anatomy,\u201d he\u2019s also appeared on \u201cER,\u201d \u201cNCIS: New Orleans,\u201d \u201cMacGyver\u201d and \u201cMaron.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SPOILER ALERT: This article contains major spoilers for the Oct. 18 episode of \u201cThe Simpsons,\u201d \u201cThe Revengening,\u201d which…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":938373,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[187391,49,48,75,263661,195041,89982],"class_list":["post-938372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-apu","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-entertainment","tag-hank-azaria","tag-sunil-malhotra","tag-the-simpsons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/938372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=938372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/938372\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/938373"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=938372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=938372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=938372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}