The Simpsons fans were thrilled to see that one beloved character finally broke his silence after almost a decade without a voice.
The last time convenience store owner Apu Nahasapeemapetilon uttered a word on the long-running animated sitcom was in 2017.
The same year, The Problem with Apu, a damning documentary about the negative impact Apu’s stereotypical portrayal had on the South Asian community, was released.
The backlash was further compounded by the fact that The Simpsons’ star, Hank Azaria – who doesn’t come from a South Asian background – had been playing the character for almost 30 years.
So, while Apu has physically appeared in episodes since then, he has yet to speak. But now that’s all changed.
A new voice actor, Sunil Malhotra, has rocked up to Springfield to voice the longtime resident. He made his debut on The Revengeing, a new episode in the lead-up to Halloween.
In fact, Apu is pretty central to the storyline, as he is unmasked as the mystery man hiding in plain sight.
Molhotra has an impressive voice acting resume, including credits for World of Warcraft, League of Legends, Halo: Reach, Fallout 4 and Mortal Kombat 1.
Still, he revealed that when his agent called about the role, ‘the idea actually made my stomach sink,’ but he also remained ‘curious’.
He told Deadline: ‘ 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?’
He explained that he was determined to make Apu’s comeback perfect, or he would turn down the lucrative gig. This involved meeting with showrunner Matt Selman and embarking on a ‘deeply collaborative’ journey to bring Apu back to life, the right way.
He hoped the return was ‘equally satisfying for longtime fans of The Simpsons and for other South Asian kids who, like me, stopped watching at some point along the way,’ he said.
For him, ‘the sweetest part of all was unleashing that righteously rage-fueled “I AM APU!” [in tonight’s episode] – on behalf of so many of us – over and over in the studio until we got it just right.
‘I really feel like we did, and I can’t wait for fans to see more Apu.’
Meanwhile, Selman echoed his excitement, sharing that he had ‘wanted to bring him back in a smart, Simpsons-y way that allowed him to evolve’ and that’s what they did.
Certainly, the long-awaited comeback has gone down swimmingly with fans.
‘HE’S BACK!!!!!! I have missed him and his family so much!’ Sonno Noctura wrote on X.
‘Yes, YES!!! OUR GOAT IS BACK!!!!’ It’sapaulthing echoed.
‘Possibly the most important event of the decade,’ Ben said.
Fans also praised the manner of the new voice reveal as he unmasked himself and declared: ‘You thought you could just get rid of me…’
‘Wait this is a perfect way to reveal a completely different voice,’ mudkip420noscope said.
‘His voice sounds a higher pitch than Hank’s but it still works for me! Welcome back, Apu!,’ RabbidLover shared.
‘Apu’s back???? Life is worth living’ Glitch agreed.
So there we have it: with Apu officially back on the scene, the character has endless possibilities.