Hank Azaria Biography

Hank Azaria (born Henry Albert Azaria) is a famous American actor. He is notably known for voicing many characters in the animated sitcom The Simpsons since 1989, most notably Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, Snake Jailbird, and formerly Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Lou, Carl Carlson, and Bumblee Man among others. He gained notoriety after becoming a series regular in its second season. Because of his work, he has won six Primetime Emmy Awards, an Annie Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Also, Hank is known for his live-action role in feature films such as; Quiz Show (1994), The Birdcage (1996), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), Godzilla (1998), Mystery Men (1999), Cradle Will Rock (1999), America’s Sweethearts (2001), Shattered Glass (2003), Along Came Polly (2004), Run Fatboy Run (2007), Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009), The Smurfs (2011), and The Smurfs 2 (2013). From 2017-2020, he starred in the title roles in the IFC sitcom Brockmire and the Showtime drama series Huff (2004-2006). Moreover, he has had recurring roles in Mad About You, Friends, and Ray Donovan.

Because of his role in Tuesdays with Morrie (1999), he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. He went on to portray Mordechai Anielewicz in Uprising (2001), and Frank DiPascali in The Wizard of Lies (2017). His recent credits include roles in Hello Tomorrow!, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and The Idol (all 2023). He made his Broadway debut in the Eric Idle musical Spamalot for which she earned a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical nomination. He returned to Broadway in 2007 in the Aaron Sorkin play The Farnsworth Invention.

Hank Azaria Education

He received his education at The Kew-Forest School. Then he attended Tufts University where he studied drama from 1981 to 1985. Later, he attended The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. On May 22, 2016, he was awarded the Honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) from Tufts University.

Hank Azaria Career

Hank Azaria Early Career

He made his television debut with a role in the pilot episode of the 1986 ABC comedy-drama series Joe Bash. He went on to appear in the TV film Nitti: The Enforcer about the gangster Frank Nitti and appeared in the failed pilot Morning Maggie alongside Matthew Perry with whom he became good friends. In 1988 in an episode of the sitcom Family Ties, he played Joe in which he had one line. The following year, he played Steve Stevenson in an episode of Growing Pains.

Hank Azaria The Simpsons

He became famous for his voice works in the ongoing animated television series The Simspons. He joined the show after previously having performed only one voice-over – as the titular animated dog in the failed Fox pilot Hollywood Dog. On The Simpsons, the first voice he performed was that of town bartender Moe Szyslak, replacing Christopher Collins who initially had recorded the character’s voice.

In addition to Moe, Wiggum, and Apu, Azaria provides the voices of Comic BookGuy, Carl Carlson (until season 32, now voiced by Alex Désert), Cletus Spuckler, Professor Frink, Dr. Nick Riviera, Lou, Snake Jailbird, Kirk Van Houten, the Sea Captain, Superintendent Chalmers, Disco Stu, Duffman, the Wiseguy, and numerous one-time characters. His work on the show has won him four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1998, 2001, 2003, and 2015. Also, he has won nominated for the award in 2009 and 2010 but lost to vo-star Dan Castellaneta and guest star Anne Hathaway. Again he was nominated in 2012.

Hank Azaria Further Career

Hank Azaria Television Work

With the continuing success of The Simpsons, he began talking about other, principally live-action roles. He thus was a main cast member on the show Herman’s Head (1991-1994) playing Jay Nichols alongside The Simpsons co-star Yeardley Smith. He reprised the role in the show’s seventh season (2001) before making several appearances in the ninth (2003). From 1995 to 1999, he had a recurring role in the sitcom Mad About You as Nat Ostertag, the dog walker. Because of his roles, in both Mad About You (1998) and Friends (2003), he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. In 2002, he produced and starred in the sitcom Imagine That replacing Emeril mid-season in the NBC lineup.

The new starred as psychiatrist Craig “Huff” Huffstodt in the Showtime drama series Huff which ran for two seasons between 2004 and 2006 airing 24 episodes. The show garnered seven Emmy nominations in 2005 including a nomination for Azaria for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. But despite the awards, the show continually received low ratings and Showtim chose not to commission it for a third season. In 2011 returning to live action, he starred in the NBC sitcom Free Agents, a remake of the British series of the same name. However, the series was canceled after four episodes due to low ratings. In 2014, he had a recurring role in the second season of Showtime’s Ray Donovan, playing FBI agent Ed Cochran.

Hank Azaria Film Work

In 1990, he made his film debut in the direct-to-video release Cool Blue as Buzz. That same year, his first theatrically released feature film appearance came in Pretty Woman as a police detective named Albertson. His next major film was in 1994, television producer Albert Freedman in the film Quiz Show which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. In the late 1990s, he appeared in numerous other films including; Heat (1995), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), and Celebrity (1998), and worked opposite Gwyneth Paltrow, as Walter Plane, in the 1998 adaptation of Great Expectations.

He played photographer Victor “Animal” Palotti in Godzilla (1998). In 1999, he played composer Marc Blitzstein in Tim Robbins’s film Cradle Will Rock. That same year, he appeared as an author and journalist Mitch Albom alongside Jack Lemmon in the television film Tuesdays with Mottie, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for the role.

Hank Azaria Other Work

He wrote and directed the 2004 short film Nobody’s Perfect which won the Film Discovery Jury Award for Best Short at the US Comedy Arts Festival. In January 2007, he was confirmed to be directing Outsourced, a film about two American workers who journey to get their jobs back after their factory is moved to Mexico. In 2003, he appeared as Bernard in a run of David Mamet’s play Sexual Perversity in Chicago along with Matthew Perry and Minnie Driver in London’s Wst End.

Hank made his first appearance as Sir Lancelot, the French Taunter, and four other characters in Spamalot, the musical version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. In late 2007, he starred in Aaron Sorkin’s The Farnsworth Invention, playing RCA head David Sarnoff. Whereas in 2016, he starred in the world premiere of Dry Powder opposite John Krasinski, Claire Danes, and Sanjit De Silva, directed by Thomas Kail, at the off-Broadway Public Theater in New York City.

Hank Azaria Age

Hank was born on April 25, 1964, therefore he is 59 years old as of June 2023. Hence he celebrates his birthday on April 25th of every year.

Hank Azaria Height

He stands at a height of 6 feet 0 inches (1.83m) tall.

Hank Azaria Family

Azaria was born in the Manhattan borough of New York City to Albert Azaria (Father) an entrepreneur, and Ruth Azaria (Mother). He has two siblings namely, Stephanie Azaria and Elise Azaria.

Hank Azaria Wife

Hank is married to the love of his life, Katie Wright (born on December 25, 1971) an American therapist and retired actress. They got married in 2007. He and his wife are blessed with one kid, a son named Hal (born in 2009). However, he was previously married to Helen Hunt (born on June 15, 1963) an American actress and director. They married on July 17, 1999, but divorced on December 18, 2000.

Hank Azaria’s Net Worth

Azaria has a net worth of $90 million which he has earned through being an actor.

Hank Azaria Salary

He earns a salary of $400,000 per episode.

Hank Azaria The Idol

In 2023, he starred in the HBO American drama series, The Idol. The series is created by Sal Levinson, Reza Fahim, and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye. In the series, he plays the role of Chaim, Jocelyn’s co-manager. The Idol focuses on Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), an aspiring pop idol who, after having a nervous breakdown that causes her last tour to be canceled, resolves to reclaim her title as the sexiest pop star in America and begins a complex relationship with Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye), a self-help guru and the head of a contemporary cult.

Hank acts alongside fellow actors and actresses such as;

• Abel Tesfaye playing the role of Tedros
• Lily-Rose Depp playing the role of Jocelyn
• Suzanna Son playing the role of Chloe
• Troye Sivan playing the role of Xander
• Jane Adams playing the role of Nikki Katz
• Jennie Ruby Jane playing the role of Dyanne
• Rachel Sennott playing the role of Leia
• Hari Nef playing the role of Talia
• Moses Sumney playing the role of Izaak
• Da’Vine Joy Randolph playing the role of Destiny
• Dan Levy playing the role of Benjamin
• Eli Roth playing the role of  Andrew Finkelstein
• Ramsey playing as herself
• Melanie Liburd playing the role of Jenna