‘The Simpsons’ Brings Back Apu with New Voice Actor Sunil Malhotra

Springfield has always been full of surprises, but few have been as eagerly anticipated as this one. For years, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon has lingered in the background of ‘The Simpsons,’ visible behind the counter of the Kwik-E-Mart yet never allowed to speak. That silence has finally been shattered.

The show has been airing for decades, and the 812th episode aired on Sunday night on Fox. This marked the third episode of Season 38 and served as a lead-up to the annual Halloween special, ‘Treehouse of Horror XXXVII,’ set to air next weekend. No one outside the production team was aware of what was about to unfold.

On Sunday, October 18, ‘The Simpsons’ reintroduced Apu’s voice for the first time in nearly a decade, now voiced by Sunil Malhotra instead of Hank Azaria. The reveal occurred in “Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening,” with Variety exclusively reporting the identity of the new voice. Apu had not spoken since the October 2017 episode “The Serfsons.”

Apu’s new voice has been revealed. It is the first time the character has spoke in almost a decade. https://t.co/HjzHVjaM0S

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 19, 2026

The production team took extraordinary measures to keep Apu’s return a secret. No screeners were distributed to critics beforehand, and NDAs were enforced for everyone involved in the table read and the episode’s production. This meant that viewers discovered Apu’s return and the new voice actor simultaneously.

Malhotra is an Indian-American actor and voice-over artist with an impressive resume, including roles in ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ ‘The Legend of Korra,’ ‘The Legend of Vox Machina,’ and ‘Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi.’ He is not the only new voice in the Nahasapeemapetilon family; Manjula is now voiced by Janina Gavankar, known for her role in ‘The Morning Show.’

In keeping with the Halloween theme, the episode parodies slasher films. A mysterious figure dressed as a “Daft Monk,” combining a Daft Punk helmet with monk robes, is accidentally knocked off by Springfield residents. A year later, he returns seeking revenge.

Eventually, he gathers the townspeople at City Hall, removes his helmet, and reveals himself as Apu. According to Men’s Journal, much of what viewers witness turns out to be a nightmare, and by the end, Apu is back where he belongs in Springfield. Clips of his first words have already gone viral online.

Apu was previously voiced by Azaria, a white actor who used an exaggerated Indian accent for the character. Over the years, Apu became controversial due to his stereotypical portrayal as a South Asian convenience store clerk. Calls for change intensified after Hari Kondabolu’s 2017 documentary ‘The Problem with Apu,’ which examined how South Asian Americans felt about having Apu as one of their few representatives on American television.

Azaria announced in 2020 that he would no longer voice Apu. ‘The Simpsons’ addressed the controversy in a 2018 episode, after which Apu was mostly reduced to silent cameos. He even made a brief, non-speaking appearance in last year’s Halloween special set in a post-apocalyptic Springfield.

Executive producer Matt Selman told Variety that the team has a deep affection for the character and wanted to bring him back in a thoughtful, ‘Simpsons’-esque way that allows for his evolution. “We’re excited by what Sunil has already brought to the role and look forward to seeing more of Apu in the future,” Selman stated. He also confirmed that Apu and Manjula will be featured more prominently moving forward.

Malhotra expressed that he took time to reflect on what it meant to take over Apu and consulted with the producers to ensure the character would be portrayed more culturally appropriately. He mentioned that his favorite moment was delivering Apu’s passionate declaration of identity. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the sweetest part of all was unleashing that righteously rage-fueled ‘I AM APU!’ — on behalf of so many of us — over and over in the studio until we got it just right,” Malhotra shared.

The big question now is what Apu looks like in ‘The Simpsons’ today. Casting an Indian-American performer instead of another white actor is a significant step, indicating the show is striving for authenticity. With Malhotra and Gavankar in place, the Nahasapeemapetilon family seems poised to become a regular part of Springfield once again.

This also represents a notable shift for a series that spent years uncertain about Apu’s future as an active character. Instead of permanently retiring him, the writers opted for a fresh start. For longtime fans, hearing his voice again is a small yet meaningful moment of closure.

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