Hank Azaria joined “The Simpsons” as a series regular during the show’s second season and has voiced multiple characters over the years ― from Moe Szyslak and Chief Wiggum to Professor Frink and Ned Flanders.
With hundreds of episodes under his belt, it’s hard to imagine Azaria picking a favorite. But after all these years, a couple do stand out.
“I think ‘Cape Feare’ is my favorite of all time,” Azaria told The Huffington Post at the Showtime Emmys Eve party in Los Angeles earlier this month. He’s talking about the memorable second episode of Season 5, which aired on Oct. 7, 1993, as a spoof on the 1962 film “Cape Fear” and the 1991 remake of the same name. It featured guest star Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob, who tries to kill Bart Simpson after springing from jail.
“I enjoyed doing the Frank Grimes episodes,” added Azaria, who also voiced Frank, an employee at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and an enemy of Homer Simpson.
It’s clear that, even after all this time, Azaria still gets a kick out of being a part of Fox’s long-running animated series, now in its 28th season.
“We recently did a really good show just dealing with the internet, which I really loved. I would say that our Top 5 shows, even in the recent years, stacked up to any of the canon great ones. I still think the show is still vital and funny,” he said.
When he’s not voicing characters on “The Simpsons,” Azaria can be seen on Showtime’s “Ray Donovan.” He just picked up the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Ed Cochran, FBI Director of the Los Angeles office.
“Ray Donovan” recently wrapped up its fourth season on Showtime and “The Simpsons” airs 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
