Latest news with #Azaria
The Citizen
6 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
WAU Azaria branch shares knowledge on Enneagram personalities
The Azaria ladies came together for one of their Women's Agricultural Union (WAU) branch meetings. Held on May 15, the meeting ushered the branch members into an informative session that brought them to the knowledge of Enneagram personalities, with Ds Peet Boshoff explaining how they work and influence people's reactions to other personality types. They also described the Enneagram as a self-awareness tool that helps one to understand other personality types, as well as gain better knowledge of one's own. The ladies came out of the meeting with a clear understanding of the nine personality types that the tool categorises every person into, namely: the perfectionist, helper, performer, individual, observer, loyalist, enthusiast, challenger, and the peacemaker. The members who attended agreed that the meeting was a great success as everyone participated enthusiastically, with Heila Engelbrecht, competition coordinator, concluding, 'It was very informative and extremely interesting to learn new things which can be applied to daily life.' Breaking news at your fingertips … Follow WITBANK NEWS on our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok Chat to us: info@ At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Independent
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Simpsons voice actor says stepping away from Apu role ‘required a deep dive'
The Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria has explained in a new interview why he chose to step back from voicing Apu Nahasapeemapetilon following controversy surrounding the character. Azaria voiced the Indian shopkeeper on the animated comedy for 30 years, but his depiction faced high-profile criticism in 2017 with the release of a documentary titled The Problem with Apu. The film saw comedian Hari Kondabolu investigate why the character was problematic and a racial stereotype. Simpsons writer, producer and erstwhile showrunner Mike Reiss confirmed in 2018 that the sitcom had decided to retire Apu. In a new discussion on the topic, Azaria has told the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast that his decision to step away from Apu 'required a deep dive'. Azaria explained that the character's voice was inspired by Peter Sellars's performance in the 1968 film The Party, where the British actor wore brownface. 'What's the difference between Inspector Clouseau, a silly French voice, or Doctor Strangelove, a silly German voice, and Hrundi V Bakshi, a rather silly Indian voice?' asked Azaria. 'And it's a question I still get asked. People will say comments still to this day, 'Why can you do [Italian Simpsons character] Luigi and that's not offensive? Why can you talk like [stereotypical hick character] Cletus and that's not a problem, but you can't do Apu? Right?' 'Honestly, at first, I thought let me look into this, and then I'll go back to doing the voice, and say I understand, but I'm going to keep doing this. And I was surprised myself that I came down on, 'No, actually, I think I am participating in a harm here.'' He also said he is 'not a hero' and had a 'professional public decision to make' when he left the character. The 60-year-old went on to express his regret after learning that Apu was often cited when hate crimes were committed against South Asian people. 'It became a slur when convenience store guys were stabbed or shot or robbed, you know,' he noted. 'There's all this other stereotyping and things that have teeth in them that affect people of colour in this country. So, while Apu might not be the most important thing in the world, it's a window into something quite important.' Azaria had previously apologised for voicing Apu. In 2021 he told the Armchair Expert podcast that: 'I was speaking at my son's school, I was talking to the Indian kids there because I wanted to get their input. A 17-year-old ... he's never even seen The Simpsons but knows what Apu means. It's practically a slur at this point. All he knows is that is how his people are thought of and represented to many people in this country.' 'I really do apologise,' Azaria continued. 'It's important. I apologise for my part in creating that and participating in that. Part of me feels like I need to go to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologise. And sometimes I do.'
The Independent
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Hank Azaria delivers Simpsons-style rendition of Wicked hit for 2025 Oscars
Hank Azaria channeled The Simpsons characters to recreate a Wicked song for the Oscars on Sunday, 2 March. The actor shared the video on X, formerly Twitter, on March 3, as the 2025 Academy Awards were officially underway, with Hollywood celebrating the best films and acting performances of the past year. Azaria has worked on the long-running animated sitcom since 1989 and has voiced numerous characters, including Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Superintendent Chalmers, Comic Book Guy, Snake, and Professor Frink.
Fox News
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
‘The Simpsons' star fears AI could rip off his work, but says there's one thing it cannot recreate
"The Simpsons" star Hank Azaria has voiced his fears over artificial intelligence in a new opinion piece. The actor, who has been with the show since 1989, wrote an opinion essay for The New York Times, worrying AI "will be able to recreate the sounds of the more than 100 voices I created for characters on 'The Simpsons.'" He continued, "It makes me sad to think about it. Not to mention, it seems just plain wrong to steal my likeness or sound — or anyone else's." Azaria voices dozens of characters on the show, including bartender Moe Syzlak, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, Professor Frink and many more. "But a voice is not just a sound. And I'd like to think that no matter how much an AI version of Moe or Snake or Chief Wiggum will sound like my voice, something will still be missing — the humanness. There's so much of who I am that goes into creating a voice. How can the computer conjure all that?" he wrote. AI expert Marva Bailer told Fox News Digital, "When we look at animated characters, there is a person behind that character and there's also a person behind the voice, because we identify the character with the image, but also that unique voice and voices aren't just reading a script. A voice has a personality to it and emotion and a connection. And so his point that he's trying to make is he's actually developing these characters over time, and he's developing them through his life experience." "It makes me sad to think about it. Not to mention, it seems just plain wrong to steal my likeness or sound — or anyone else's." She continued, "He's been doing this a very, very long time. And as he's interacted with these characters, he developed, developed new personalities and the ways that the characters react with each other and new characters that they meet, just like we do as humans. And so he does have a valid point." In the piece, which also featured video clips of Azaria acting out his various roles, the 60-year-old elaborated on the physicality that goes into voice-over performances, like running in place, using props and working up real tears, all of which would be missing from an artificially generated voice. "An AI-generated voice has enough little things askew to make you think there's something missing," the "The Birdcage" star said. "It just isn't compelling or funny in the same way that AI-generated faces in video seem to be missing elements that would make them believable and human-seeming — too often micro-expressions and gestures are not quite right." He explained his worries about the technology impacting his career, admitting, "There may be some aspects of a performance that AI can enhance." WATCH: AI EXPERT EXPLAINS 'THE SIMPSONS' STAR'S 'VALID POINT' ON THE TECHNOLOGY "So, if I'm being honest, I am a little worried. This is my job. This is what I love to do, and I don't want to have to stop doing it. The conventional wisdom in Hollywood is that the technology for making faces seem fully human is five years away. I fear that the voice equivalent is also coming." "Something that AI does for us is if we have an idea or creativity, and we want to know what something sounds like or thinks like or looks like, and maybe we don't have it in our repertoire or our community, it can give us those inspirations," Bailer said. "And that's really what Hank is bringing to the picture." The "Godzilla" star also shared that he sees some positive aspects to the technology, like recreating the late Mel Blanc, who voiced Bugs Bunny. "Maybe it would work especially well if someone like me, who is intimately familiar with the subtleties of the character, could help recreate what Bugs Bunny was doing by essentially directing AI," he suggested. "The whole nostalgia opportunity is valid," Bailer said. "And we're seeing these new experiences where Elvis comes to life, where ABBA comes to life, and there are situations where the actors or the estates or the rights owners are turning over that content. And yes, it can be created in a new way for a new generation. And it brings opportunity to these voice actors that could bring these characters to life with new voices and maybe new parts of their families or communities that they're going to intertwine." She added, "We do need to protect our IP and keep doing a great job being humans and then using AI as that assistant to accelerate new experiences that we might not have even thought of." There is also another consideration for the use of AI when it comes to "The Simpsons," the aging cast. Last November, Azaria's voice acting co-star, Pamela Hayden, who provided the voice of characters like Bart's friend, Milhouse, among many others, announced she was retiring from the show after 35 years. "How many actors can say they've worked on a show for 35 years straight?" the 70-year-old told Variety. "That alone is amazing. But it was time for me to devote my time to other creative endeavors that I have, like filmmaking." "It was a tough decision," she added, "but I feel like it was the right one." Hayden told the outlet producers were auditioning new actors for the role, and offered advice to make it their own. "It is a sticky wicket in the sense that, I don't think it's ever good to just do an impression. It is a difficult task [to] put your stamp on a character, but to still make it sound like the character that has already originated," she said. "You want them to bring their own gift to the party." WATCH: AI EXPERT EXPLAINS WHY 'SIMPSONS' STARS AND OTHER ACTORS MAY FIND USE IN THE TECHNOLOGY Other key cast members include Dan Castellaneta, 67, who voices Homer and dozens of others, Julie Kavner, 74, the voice of Marge, Nancy Cartwright, 67, the voice of Bart and several others, Yeardley Smith, 60, the voice of Lisa, and Harry Shearer, the voice of Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns and many, many more. "Simpsons" showrunner Matt Selman told People last year, not long before Hayden's retirement, that he's in "super denial" about the possibility of any of his cast members suddenly dying. "I don't think about it, so I'm just going to not think about that," he added. "But certainly, it's just if the show ever does a last episode." Bailer noted, "Eighty percent of us are going to acquire a disability during our working years. So there could be a scenario where you're supposed to go to work, and you have to read script and beyond, and you have a cold and your voice doesn't sound like it did last week, or maybe you actually had a serious car accident and now your voice really doesn't sound exactly alike. And so if [AI] can fine tune your instrument, that would be a good thing. But again, it needs to be transparent. There needs to be agreements in place and transparency and ownership is really what's going to be important." Azaria concluded that regardless of AI's capabilities, there would still need to be a human element behind the scenes. "I think we'll still need someone who in his mind and heart and soul knows what needs to be done. AI can make the sound, but it will still need people to make the performance. Will the computer ever understand emotion on its own, what's moving and what's funny? Now we're getting into science fiction, because for that, I think, the AI would have to be alive."
The Independent
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
The Simpsons actor admits he's ‘worried' about his future: ‘This is my job'
The Simpsons voice actor, Hank Azaria has admitted that he's worried about his future in the industry amid the rise of artificial intelligence. Azaria, 60, has worked on the long-running animated sitcom since 1989 and voiced numerous characters including Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Superintendent Chalmers, Comic Book Guy, Snake and Professor Frink. The Simpsons has undergone many changes as of late, including switching TV channels in the UK. Now in its 36th season, there is seemingly no end to the show in sight, despite many of its voice actors retiring or passing away. The use of artificial intelligence has become more prominent in Hollywood but that has prompted issues, most notably when the technology is used to replicate the performance of a deceased star. In a piece for the New York Times, Azaria opened up about his worries surrounding AI and how it might be used to replace him in the future. Azaria wrote: 'The AI model may not know what's funny or what timing is, but it could do a million different takes. And it could be told to do them as I would - and it might be pretty convincing.' 'So, if I'm being honest, I am a little worried,' Azaria added. 'This is my job. This is what I love to do, and I don't want to have to stop doing it. The conventional wisdom in Hollywood is that the technology for making faces seem fully human is five years away. I fear that the voice equivalent is also coming.' The current season of The Simpsons left fans extremely worried after the surprise airing of its 'final' episode. Viewers were left somewhat startled as the long-running animated series's 36th season, which has bizarrely predicted real-life events for more than three decades, was launched with an episode branded its 'series finale'. However, despite some confusion among viewers, the episode was actually a parody of what makes an effective finale and imagined what the perfect ending of The Simpsons would look like – as written by AI. Throughout the episode, there were animated recreations of final shots of shows including The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones and Succession. Speaking to The New York Post, showrunner Pete Selman said that episode was inspired by the impossibility of ending the show satisfactorily. 'The discussion that it would be so hard to do a last episode is what led to the fake series finale,' said Selman. 'That it's sort of an impossible thing.' 'The show isn't meant to end,' he continued. 'To do a sappy crappo series finale, like most other shows do, would be so lame. So we just did one that was like over the top.'
