Apu returns to The Simpsons after eight years with new voice actor

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon has spoken in The Simpsons for the first time in almost nine years in an episode that aired on October 18.

'The Revengening', a prelude to next week's annual Treehouse of Horror, centred on the plot of the Scream franchise. A mysterious figure in the episode revealed himself to be Apu, voiced by American actor Sunil Malhotra.

 

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First voiced by Hank Azaria, Apu was introduced in 1997. Azaria went on to play the character for 29 seasons until the 2017 documentary The Problem With Apu highlighted the racist stereotypes behind the portrayal.

In 2020, Azaria confirmed he'd no longer be voicing the character. "What they're going to do with the character is their call," he said at the time. "It's up to them, and they haven't sorted it out yet. All we've agreed on is I won't do the voice anymore."

Malhotra's debut as the new voice of Apu was kept under wraps by The Simpsons' producers.

"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," said Malhotra in an interview with Variety. "But admittedly, part of me was also curious. It had been eight years since Apu had spoken on the show, and it got me thinking: Did the writers' room look different now?

"Could they bring him back in a way that acknowledged and apologised for past mistakes? Could I make the character my own, and reclaim him in some way? And could they achieve all of that in an unmistakably Simpsons way that didn't disappoint fans?"

Malhotra's recent voice credits include The Legend of Vox Machina, The Loud House, Monster High, The Casagrandes and Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. He's also been seen on television in shows like Grey's Anatomy, ER, NCIS: New Orleans,  as well as MacGyver and Maron.

Watch Apu's return below: 

Apu's new voice has been revealed.

It is the first time the character has spoken in almost a decade. pic.twitter.com/HjzHVjaM0S

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 19, 2026