Hank Azaria has officially bowed out of The Simpsons in full support of the producer's decision to no longer use white actors to voice black and ethnic minority characters.
It’s a move that has been a long time coming after years of controversy about the issue and amidst persistent calls for greater diversity within the entertainment industry.
Azaria had already stated in January that he would no longer voice the Indian shopkeeper Apu, a character which had also been criticised for reinforcing racial stereotypes. Azaria has voiced the shopkeeper on the long-running animated cartoon series for over 30 years.
In a statement, the Fox network, which broadcasts the show, said: "Moving forward, The Simpsons will no longer have white actors voice non-white characters."
The Simpsons, which has been on the air since 1989, had faced public pressure for years over having a white American in the form of Azaria, voicing the Indian shopkeeper.
Since Fox released their statement Azaria has been vocal about the move on Instagram stating how he has had to face up to many of his own biases that he "did not even know were there." In a heartfelt post about stepping down from The Simpsons, he said: “Racism impacts our ability to be truly empathetic to what is happening to all People of Colour, especially Black people because racism prevents us from seeing ourselves in them.”
View this post on Instagram
Many other US actors have taken the decision to step down from voicing non-white characters, Frozen star Kristen Bell revealed she too would no longer be lending her voice to the role of Molly, a mixed-race character in the animated comedy series Central Park.
