The Simpsons Brought Back A Fan Favorite Character After Nine Years

For eight years, one of The Simpsons' most beloved characters said nothing, maintaining a silent presence in Springfield as a consequence of a long-running controversy about the way the character had been portrayed and voiced over three decades. That silence ended Sunday night during the Halloween-themed episode "The Revengening," when Abu spoke again for the first time since October 2017, now voiced by Sunil Malhotra — an actor and voiceover veteran whose credits span Grey's Anatomy, The Legend of Korra, and major video games including World of Warcraft, Fallout 4, and Mortal Kombat 1. The new voice actor described his first reaction to the audition call in a way that captures how seriously he took the responsibility: "When my agent called me about a Simpsons audition, I knew exactly what role it was for, and the idea actually made my stomach sink." Malhotra consulted with producers on how to handle the character's cultural specificity before deciding to take the role, and the character's wife also received a new voice, with actress Janina Gavankar stepping in alongside him. "After 22 years of friendship, I know Sunil is the perfect person to bring them home," Gavankar said. Malhotra added: "Bringing Apu back feels like a reclamation."

The original voice actor, Hank Azaria, stepped away from the role of Apu in 2020 following years of criticism that his portrayal reinforced stereotypes about South Asian people, saying at the time that continuing to voice the character "just didn't feel right." Azaria has since appeared comfortable with the transition, commenting on Malhotra's debut post with two words: "Wonderful job!" Show producer Matt Selman confirmed that Apu will now appear more frequently going forward. "We love this character and wanted to bring them back in a smart, Simpsons-y way that allowed them to evolve," he said. "We're excited by what Sunil has already brought to the role."

Source:https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/the-simpsons-apu-new-voice-sunil-malhotra-hank-azaria-1236915177/