Hank Azaria Says He’s Willing to ‘Step Aside’ as Apu From The Simpsons If It’s ‘The Right Thing To Do’

On Tuesday night, actor Hank Azaria addressed the controversy surrounding one of his iconic characters from The Simpsons: Apu.

In recent years, the Kwik-E-Mart operator has been scrutinized by critics for perpetuating Indian stereotypes. And earlier this month, The Simpsons was criticized for their response to the ongoing Apu debate.

Azaria, who voices Apu, weighed in on the issue during an appearance on The Late Show.

He began by saying he “understands” how Indian Americans and South Asian Americans are offended by the character, which “surprised him” when he first heard about their outrage.

“You know, the idea that anybody was– young or old, past or present– was bullied or teased based on the character of Apu, it just really makes me sad. It was certainly not my intention.” Azaria told Stephen Colbert. “I wanted to spread laughter and joy with this character. And the idea that it’s, you know, brought pain and suffering in any way, that it was used to marginalize people, it’s upsetting, genuinely.”

Azaria then expressed dissent of his show’s response to the controversy involving Marge and Lisa Simpson, saying it’s “definitely not the message” that he wanted to send.

And when asked what the show should do with Apu going forward, Azaria didn’t rule anything out.

“I’ve given this a lot of thought, really a lot of thought. And as I say, my eyes have been opened. And I think the most important thing is we have to listen to S outh Asian people, Indian people in this country when they talk about what they feel and how they think about– about this character, and what their American experience of it has been,” Azaria continued. “And as you know, in television terms, listening to voices means inclusion in the writers’ room. I really want to see Indian, South Asian writer, writers in the room, not in a token way, but genuinely informing whatever new direction this character may take, including how it is voiced or not voiced. You know, I’m perfectly willing and happy to step aside or help transition it into something new. I really hope that’s what The Simpsons does. And it not only makes sense, but it just feels like the right thing to do to me.”

Watch the clip above, via CBS.