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Difference between revisions of "Hank Azaria"

Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
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== ''The Simpsons'' ==
 
== ''The Simpsons'' ==
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He is most famous for his voice work on ''The Simpsons''. He joined the show aged 25, having previously performed only one voice over as an animated dog in the Fox pilot ''Hollywood Dog''. The first voice he performed was that of town bartender [[Moe Szyslak]], redubbing [[Christopher Collins]] who had voiced the character in the original track. Having known him from the failed pilot, casting director [[Bonnie Pietila]] called Azaria and asked to audition for the voice of Moe. At the time he was doing a play, in which he performed the role of a drug dealer, basing his voice on {{W|Al Pacino}} in ''{{W|Dog Day Afternoon}}''. He used that voice in the audition, and was told by [[Matt Groening]] and [[Sam Simon]] to make it more gravelly, with it becoming the voice of Moe. Groening and Simon thought it was perfect and took Azaria over to the Fox recording studio. Before he had even seen a script, he recorded several lines of dialogue as Moe for the episode "[[Some Enchanted Evening]]".<ref name=freshair>Azaria, Hank interview with Terry Gross. ''Fresh Air''. National Public Radio, WHYY-FM, Philadelphia, 2004-12-06}}</ref><ref name=barber>{{cite video |people=Azaria, Hank |date=2004 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Fifth Season DVD commentary for the episode "[[Homer's Barbershop Quartet]]"|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref><ref>{{cite video | people=Silverman, David|date=2001|title=The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Azaria did not expect to hear from the show again but they continued to call him back, first to perform the voice of [[Chief Wiggum]], and then [[Apu Nahasapeemapetilon]], until eventually during the [[Season 2|second season]] he was doing numerous voices. At that point he was given a contract and made a permanent member of the cast and has remained ever since.<ref name=freshair/> He has won three Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on the show in the category "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance".
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He is most famous for his voice work on ''The Simpsons''. He joined the show aged 25, having previously performed only one voice over as an animated dog in the Fox pilot ''Hollywood Dog''. The first voice he performed was that of town bartender [[Moe Szyslak]], redubbing [[Christopher Collins]] who had voiced the character in the original track. Having known him from the failed pilot, casting director [[Bonnie Pietila]] called Azaria and asked to audition for the voice of Moe. At the time he was doing a play, in which he performed the role of a drug dealer, basing his voice on {{W|Al Pacino}} in ''{{W|Dog Day Afternoon}}''. He used that voice in the audition, and was told by [[Matt Groening]] and [[Sam Simon]] to make it more gravelly, with it becoming the voice of Moe. Groening and Simon thought it was perfect and took Azaria over to the Fox recording studio. Before he had even seen a script, he recorded several lines of dialogue as Moe for the episode "[[Some Enchanted Evening]]".<ref name=freshair>Azaria, Hank interview with Terry Gross. ''Fresh Air''. National Public Radio, WHYY-FM, Philadelphia, 2004-12-06}}</ref><ref name=barber>{{cite video |people=Azaria, Hank |date=2004 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Fifth Season DVD commentary for the episode "[[Homer's Barbershop Quartet]]"|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref><ref>{{cite video | people=Silverman, David|date=2001|title=The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Azaria did not expect to hear from the show again but they continued to call him back, first to perform the voice of [[Chief Wiggum]], and then [[Apu Nahasapeemapetilon]], until eventually during the [[Season 2|second season]] he was doing numerous voices. At that point he was given a contract and made a permanent member of the cast and has remained ever since.<ref name=freshair/>
  
 
He also voices [[Carl Carlson]] (until the end of [[Season 31]]), [[Comic Book Guy]], [[Lou]], [[Dr. Nick]], [[Snake]], [[Professor Frink]], [[Horatio McCallister]], [[Raphael]], [[Superintendent Chalmers]], [[Cletus Spuckler]], [[Kirk Van Houten]] and others.
 
He also voices [[Carl Carlson]] (until the end of [[Season 31]]), [[Comic Book Guy]], [[Lou]], [[Dr. Nick]], [[Snake]], [[Professor Frink]], [[Horatio McCallister]], [[Raphael]], [[Superintendent Chalmers]], [[Cletus Spuckler]], [[Kirk Van Houten]] and others.
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*Azaria based his performance for [[Frank Grimes]] on actor {{W|William H. Macy}}. He counts Grimes as the hardest, most emotional performance he has ever had to give in the history of ''The Simpsons''.<ref name=enemy>{{cite video|people=Azaria, Hank|date=2006|title=The Simpsons The Complete Eighth Season DVD commentary for the episode "[[Homer's Enemy]]"|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
 
*Azaria based his performance for [[Frank Grimes]] on actor {{W|William H. Macy}}. He counts Grimes as the hardest, most emotional performance he has ever had to give in the history of ''The Simpsons''.<ref name=enemy>{{cite video|people=Azaria, Hank|date=2006|title=The Simpsons The Complete Eighth Season DVD commentary for the episode "[[Homer's Enemy]]"|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
  
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== Other work ==
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== Awards ==
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Azaria has had an incredibly active career outside ''The Simpsons'' during his time on the show. He has had starring or recurring guest roles on the TV shows ''{{W|Herman's Head}}'', ''{{W|Mad About You}}'', ''[[Friends]]'' and ''{{W2|Huff|TV series}}'' from 2004 to 2006 as the lead character Dr. Craig "Huff" Huffstodt, as well as winning an Emmy for playing [[Mitch Albom]] in the miniseries ''{{W2|Tuesdays with Morrie|film}}''. He has appeared in numerous movies such as ''{{W|Quiz Show}}'' (1994), ''{{W2|Heat|1995 film}}'' (1995), ''{{W|The Birdcage}}'' (1996), ''{{W2|Godzilla|1998 film}}'' (1998), ''{{W|Mystery Men}}'' (1999), ''{{W|America's Sweethearts}}'' (2001), ''{{W|Along Came Polly}}'' (2004), ''{{W|Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian}}'' (2010) and as Gargamel in the 2011 and 2013 films ''[[The Smurfs]]'' and ''{{W|The Smurfs 2}}.
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{{Table|width=65%|align=left|
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{{THT|Award}}
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Though Azaria had no regular role on ''[[Futurama]]'', he provided the voice of [[infosphere:Harold Zoid|Harold Zoid]] (uncle of Dr. [[Zoidberg]]) in the episode "[[infosphere:That's Lobstertainment!|That's Lobstertainment!]]".
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{{TH|Year}}
 +
{{TH|Episode}}
 +
{{TH|Result}}
 +
{{TRsT|{{W|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance}}|6}}
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{{TB|[[1998]]<ref>[https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1998/outstanding-voice-over-performance Television Academy - "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance - 1998"]</ref>}}
 +
{{TB|N/A<br>{{small|for [[Apu Nahasapeemapetilon]]}}}}
 +
{{TRs|'''Won'''|3}}
 +
{{TBT|[[2001]]<ref>[https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2001/outstanding-voice-over-performance Television Academy - "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance - 2001"]</ref>}}
 +
{{TB|"[[Worst Episode Ever]]"<br>{{small|for [[Comic Book Guy]], [[Apu]], [[Carl Carlson]], [[Lou]], [[Chief Wiggum]] and [[Moe Szyslak]]}}}}
 +
{{TBT|[[2003]]<ref>[https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2003/outstanding-voice-over-performance Television Academy - "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance - 2003"]</ref>}}
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{{TB|"[[Moe Baby Blues]]"<br>{{small|for [[Moe Szyslak]], [[Carl Carlson]], [[Chief Wiggum]], [[Apu]], [[Johnny Tightlips]], [[Bumblebee Man]] and [[Cletus]]}}}}
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{{TBT|[[2009]]<ref>[https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2009/outstanding-voice-over-performance Television Academy - "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance - 2009"]</ref>}}
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{{TB|"[[Eeny Teeny Maya, Moe]]"<br>{{small|for [[Moe Szyslak]]}}}}
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{{TRs|Nominated|3}}
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{{TBT|[[2010]]<ref>[https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2010/outstanding-voice-over-performance Television Academy - "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance - 2010"]</ref>}}
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{{TB|"[[Moe Letter Blues]]"<br>{{small|for [[Moe Szyslak]] and [[Apu]]}}}}
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{{TBT|[[2012]]<ref>[https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2012/outstanding-voice-over-performance Television Academy - "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance - 2012"]</ref>}}
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{{TB|"[[Moe Goes from Rags to Riches]]"<br>{{small|for [[Moe]], [[Duffman]], [[Mexican Duffman]], [[Carl]], [[Comic Book Guy]], and [[Chief Wiggum]]}}}}
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{{TRsT|{{W|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance}}|3}}
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{{TB|[[2015]]<ref>[https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2015/outstanding-voice-over-performance Television Academy - "Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance - 2015"]</ref>}}
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{{TB|"[[The Princess Guide]]"<br>{{small|for [[Moe]] and {{ap|Kevin|The Princess Guide}}}}}}
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{{TB|'''Won'''}}
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{{TBT|[[2019]]<ref>[https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2019/outstanding-voice-over-performance Television Academy - "Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance - 2019"]</ref>}}
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{{TB|"[[From Russia Without Love]]"<br>{{small|for [[Moe Szyslak]], [[Carl Carlson]], [[Duffman]], [[Kirk Van Houten]]}}}}
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{{TRs|Nominated|2}}
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{{TBT|[[2020]]<ref>[https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2020/outstanding-voice-over-performance Television Academy - "Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance - 2020"]</ref>}}
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{{TB|"[[Frinkcoin]]"<br>{{small|for [[Professor Frink]], [[Moe Szyslak]], [[Chief Wiggum]], [[Carl Carlson]], [[Cletus Spuckler]], [[Kirk Van Houten]] and [[Sea Captain]]}}}}
 +
}}
  
 
== Credits ==
 
== Credits ==

Revision as of 08:20, January 28, 2023

This article is about the voice actor. For the character, see Hank Azaria (character).
Hank Azaria
Hank Azaria.jpg
Crew Information
Gender:
Male ♂
Real full name: Henry Albert Azaria
Job: Voice actor
Birth date: April 25, 1964 (1964-04-25) (age 60)
Status:
Active
Number of episodes: 662
Seasons active: Season 1 - Present
Short: Plusaversary
First episode: "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
Most recent episode: "Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes"
First album: Songs in the Key of Springfield
Latest album: The Simpsons: Testify


Hank Azaria (born April 25, 1964) is an American actor, comedian and producer. He voices Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Comic Book Guy and numerous other characters on The Simpsons. He was also interviewed in The Simpsons: Access All Areas, The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice!, and The Simpsons: America's First Family. He will also host The Simpsons Take the Bowl.[1]

The Simpsons

He is most famous for his voice work on The Simpsons. He joined the show aged 25, having previously performed only one voice over as an animated dog in the Fox pilot Hollywood Dog. The first voice he performed was that of town bartender Moe Szyslak, redubbing Christopher Collins who had voiced the character in the original track. Having known him from the failed pilot, casting director Bonnie Pietila called Azaria and asked to audition for the voice of Moe. At the time he was doing a play, in which he performed the role of a drug dealer, basing his voice on Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon. He used that voice in the audition, and was told by Matt Groening and Sam Simon to make it more gravelly, with it becoming the voice of Moe. Groening and Simon thought it was perfect and took Azaria over to the Fox recording studio. Before he had even seen a script, he recorded several lines of dialogue as Moe for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening".[2][3][4] Azaria did not expect to hear from the show again but they continued to call him back, first to perform the voice of Chief Wiggum, and then Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, until eventually during the second season he was doing numerous voices. At that point he was given a contract and made a permanent member of the cast and has remained ever since.[2]

He also voices Carl Carlson (until the end of Season 31), Comic Book Guy, Lou, Dr. Nick, Snake, Professor Frink, Horatio McCallister, Raphael, Superintendent Chalmers, Cletus Spuckler, Kirk Van Houten and others.

Many of his character's voices were loosely based on other people:

  • As said, Moe is based on Al Pacino.
  • Apu is loosely based on Peter Sellers's character Hrundi V. Bakshi from the film The Party.[2]
  • Wiggum was initially based on David Brinkley but Azaria later sped the voice up to sound like Edward G. Robinson.[5]
  • Lou is based on Sylvester Stallone.[3]
  • Dr. Nick is a bad impression of Ricky Ricardo.[6]
  • Raphael is based on Charles Bronson.[3]
  • Snake's is based on Azaria's old college roommate.[3]
  • Comic Book Guy's voice is based on a student who lived in the room next door to Azaria at college, who went by the name "F".[3]
  • Professor Frink is based on Jerry Lewis's performance in the original The Nutty Professor.[5]
  • Sea Captain's is based on Robert Newton's portrayal of many pirates.[5]
  • Azaria based his performance for Frank Grimes on actor William H. Macy. He counts Grimes as the hardest, most emotional performance he has ever had to give in the history of The Simpsons.[7]

Awards

Award Year Episode Result
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance 1998[8] N/A
for Apu Nahasapeemapetilon 		Won
2001[9] "Worst Episode Ever"
for Comic Book Guy, Apu, Carl Carlson, Lou, Chief Wiggum and Moe Szyslak
2003[10] "Moe Baby Blues"
for Moe Szyslak, Carl Carlson, Chief Wiggum, Apu, Johnny Tightlips, Bumblebee Man and Cletus
2009[11] "Eeny Teeny Maya, Moe"
for Moe Szyslak 		Nominated
2010[12] "Moe Letter Blues"
for Moe Szyslak and Apu
2012[13] "Moe Goes from Rags to Riches"
for Moe, Duffman, Mexican Duffman, Carl, Comic Book Guy, and Chief Wiggum
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance 2015[14] "The Princess Guide"
for Moe and Kevin 		Won
2019[15] "From Russia Without Love"
for Moe Szyslak, Carl Carlson, Duffman, Kirk Van Houten 		Nominated
2020[16] "Frinkcoin"
for Professor Frink, Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Carl Carlson, Cletus Spuckler, Kirk Van Houten and Sea Captain

Credits

Also Starring

Starring

Voice

A big special thank you

Interviewee

Trivia

See also

References

  1. ↑ Rolling Stone - "'The Simpsons' Live Show With Orchestra Coming to Hollywood Bowl"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Azaria, Hank interview with Terry Gross. Fresh Air. National Public Radio, WHYY-FM, Philadelphia, 2004-12-06}}
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Azaria, Hank. The Simpsons The Complete Fifth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  4. ↑ Silverman, David. The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Joe Rhodes. "Flash! 24 Simpsons Stars Reveal Themselves", TV Guide. Retrieved on 2007-08-15. 
  6. ↑ Azaria, Hank. The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Homer's Triple Bypass" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  7. ↑ Azaria, Hank. The Simpsons The Complete Eighth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Homer's Enemy" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  8. ↑ Television Academy - "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance - 1998"
  9. ↑ Television Academy - "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance - 2001"
  10. ↑ Television Academy - "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance - 2003"
  11. ↑ Television Academy - "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance - 2009"
  12. ↑ Television Academy - "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance - 2010"
  13. ↑ Television Academy - "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance - 2012"
  14. ↑ Television Academy - "Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance - 2015"
  15. ↑ Television Academy - "Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance - 2019"
  16. ↑ Television Academy - "Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance - 2020"
  17. ↑ Hank Azaria's Facebook post 9th January, 2013


External links


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