‘The Simpsons’ Surprise: Apu Returns With New Voice Actor

When the Halloween episode of "The Simpsons" aired on Sunday, fans were taken aback by the return of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the Kwik-E Mart proprietor. Apu’s spoken dialogue had been absent for nearly a decade after controversy erupted in 2017, leading Hank Azaria to step down from voicing the character due to concerns over the actor’s ethnicity.

Apu’s silence continued until the arrival of Sunil Malhotra, a new voice actor, who addressed his return in an Instagram post alongside fellow actress Janina Gavankar who plays Apu’s wife, Manjula. According to Malhotra, "Bringing Apu back feels like a reclamation; it truly IS his homecoming." Gavankar echoed this sentiment, stating that she believes Sunil is the perfect choice to reintroduce Apu to the series.

In response to Azaria’s departure in 2020, Fox announced that white actors would no longer voice nonwhite characters on "The Simpsons." Azaria explained his decision in an interview with The New York Times, stating that it "didn’t feel right" to continue playing Apu. The Sunday episode playfully acknowledged Apu’s years of silence by using the theme from "I Know What You Did Last Summer" as he turned out to be the masked killer in the episode.

Apu’s revelation, "I am the man you left for dead," added a dramatic twist. However, the episode concluded with Apu waking up in his store, worried that Springfield had forgotten him, only for Homer to reassure him that no one could ever truly forget him.