‘The Simpsons’ Gives Apu a New Voice After Eight Years

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon has spoken again on The Simpsons, ending an eight-year stretch in which the longtime Springfield character appeared without dialogue. The Oct. 18 Fox episode, “The Revengening,” revealed actor Sunil Malhotra as Apu’s new voice.

The casting was first reported by Variety and was also confirmed in coverage from Deadline and TVLine. Malhotra succeeds Hank Azaria, who voiced Apu for nearly three decades before stepping away from the role amid a broader debate about how the Indian American character had been portrayed.

How Apu returned to Springfield

“The Revengening” uses a mystery story with slasher-film touches before identifying Apu as the figure at the center of the episode. His return arrives just ahead of the show’s annual “Treehouse of Horror” installment, giving the character’s first new lines since 2018 a prominent place in the season.

Malhotra brings extensive voice-acting experience to the part. His credits include The Legend of Korra, Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi and major video-game franchises including Halo, Fallout and Mortal Kombat. He has also appeared in live-action series such as Grey’s Anatomy and NCIS: New Orleans.

A casting change with a long history

Apu’s absence from spoken storylines followed criticism sharpened by comedian Hari Kondabolu’s 2017 documentary The Problem With Apu. Azaria later said he would no longer perform the character. The series continued to show Apu occasionally, but did not give him dialogue while questions about the role’s future remained unresolved.

Malhotra told Deadline that the audition carried unusual weight because of that history. He said the production’s approach convinced him the writers understood what the character meant to viewers and why the casting required care. His debut now gives the show a path to use Apu in new stories rather than leaving one of Springfield’s best-known residents on the sidelines.

The episode establishes the new voice, but it does not by itself define how frequently Apu will appear or how his characterization may evolve. For now, the clearest change is immediate: after years of silence, Apu is once again an active speaking character on The Simpsons.