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Hank Azaria attends a premiere in Hollywood, Calif. on Dec. 13, 2024.
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Hank Azaria's Bruce Springsteen tribute: ‘It’s based on hero worship’

Ettiene Laurent/AFP via Getty Images

Hank Azaria's Bruce Springsteen tribute: ‘It’s based on hero worship’

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hank Azaria ‘s voiceover work on “The Simpsons” has won him four Emmy Awards, but even they couldn’t compare to meeting his idol, Bruce Springsteen.

“Two times I met Bruce, and embarrassed myself by gushing over him and telling him how much he meant to me,” the actor says as he recalls their first encounter: “My voice went up like four octaves. I sounded like a goose on acid and was basically unintelligible. He gave me a fatherly pat on the shoulder, kind of to say ‘calm down.'”

What about the second time?

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“I said I’m not going to blow it this time and…” Azaria trails off into laughter. “He was very sweet and patient with me, he gave me a fatherly pat on the shoulder again and was gone.”

Azaria’s tribute to Springsteen — a theatrical piece in which the man of many voices imitates his idol, complete with a backing band — is touring now.

He ranks the show among the most fulfilling work he has done, up there with “The Simpsons,” “Spamalot” on Broadway, hit film “The Birdcage” and edgy sitcom “Brockmire.” The performance raises money for Azaria’s charity, the Four Through Nine Foundation, which invests in education and well-being for youths.

“I would feel weird imitating my idol and making money off it,” he says of making the show a charitable endeavor.

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The show is a legit concert with an equally legit band, the EZ Street Band, comprised of musicians who have played with the likes of Ariana Grande, Post Malone, Lil Nas X, St. Lucia, Josh Groban, blackbear and Cynthia Erivo.

But it’s also a performance piece, with Azaria sharing stories of what Springsteen’s music has meant to him.

“I tell the story of the night I met my wife, which was love at first sight,” he offers as one example.

His Springsteen imitation is “based on hero worship,” Azaria says.

“His music meant a lot to me, got me through some tough, lonely times as a teenager,” he relates. It also inspired him to be a “creative person.”

Can he choose favorites out of Springsteen’s large ouevre?

“The ones that had the biggest influence on me,” he says and hesitates, before naming “The Promised Land,” “Thunder Road,” “She’s the One” and “Jungleland.” “They’re part of me, they’re times of my life.”

The show started with a wallop of birthday angst.

“I turned 60 last April and I wanted to cheer myself up because I was having mixed feelings about that number,” he says. “You turn 60, you get nostalgic, and music is a big part of that. I sort of rediscovered the music of my youth, Bruce being at the top of that list.”

He surprised friends at a party with his rendition of Springsteen’s songs.

“Not since early in my career had I felt sick from worry,” he says of preparing. “I was so nervous I threw up.”

To put together the EZ Street Band, he consulted with Adam Kromelow, piano teacher to Azaria’s teenage son. He recalls approaching Kromelow: “I had this crazy idea … It’s kind of weird post-midlife crisis.” But the pianist was on board.

Then there was the singing, which isn’t what Azaria is known for.

“When you sing as Chief Wiggum, no one cares as long as you get the lyrics right and stay semi on-key,” he jokes in reference to one of his “Simpsons” characters, a dimwitted police officer.

And though he had imitated Springsteen’s voice his whole life — he interrupts his thoughts to give a reporter an impromptu over-the-phone demonstration — he had never tried to mimic his singing voice. Even for a pro like Azaria, it took months of work and coaching to get it just right.

Of course, he had plenty of research already under his belt; Azaria estimates he has seen Springsteen perform about 30 times.

“I’ve been going since I was 16 years old,” he says. “His live shows are legendary. He pulls out surprises every night. Back in the day, he’d play four, four and a half hours.”

He ponders on what kept drawing him back.

“I think Bruce, more than a lot of artists, paints a picture in your head,” he says. “Seeing him live is such a special thing.”

With the Springsteen show up and running, Azaria has time to juggle it with his other projects. He’s writing a book and also developing a live stage show that will dive into the “Apu controversy.”

Besides Chief Wiggum, since 1989, Azaria has been voicing “Simpsons” characters such as bartender Moe, school superintendent Gary Chalmers, the Comic Book Guy and country bumpkin Cletus. In 2020, he stopped voicing Apu, a kindly if often overwhelmed Indian convenience-store manager.

“It’s a lot of voices,” he says of the new show, “and you’ll notice there’s a voice I’m not doing and here’s why.”

The controversy was fueled by a 2017 documentary, “The Problem with Apu,” that examined the stereotypical aspects of the character and explored how having a white actor portray him made Indian Americans feel teased and humiliated. Azaria later apologized for perpetuating racial stereotypes with the role.

“It’s a story that is valuable for people to hear, especially white people who might not have thought about it, which was certainly me,” he says. “It is a window into an important issue called race in America. The ability to see others’ point of view tends to get lost in these situations.”

He’s looking forward to getting that show onstage, because he enjoys the energy of an audience — something he doesn’t experience when recording his lines for “The Simpsons.”

“When I did ‘Spamalot’ on Broadway, that was really huge,” he says of the show based on the 1975 movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” “With all the Monty Python fans, you felt that love.”

Azaria plans to stick with projects, like the Springsteen tribute, that are close to his heart.

“I really try to pick and choose,” he says. “I feel really blessed and fortunate I can focus on things I really care about.”

First Published: January 29, 2025, 10:30 a.m.

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Hank Azaria attends a premiere in Hollywood, Calif. on Dec. 13, 2024.  (Ettiene Laurent/AFP via Getty Images)
Singer Bruce Springsteen performs at a campaign rally for former U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris in Philadelphia in October 2024.  (Matt Slocum/AP Photo)
Hank Azaria once starred in "Monty Python's Spamalot," which won three Tonys including best musical and ran for 1,575 performances from 2005-09. Pictured, from left, David Hyde Pierce as Sir Robin, Hank Azaria as Sir Lancelot, Christopher Sieber as Sir Dennis Galahad, Steve Rosen as Sir Bedevere and Tim Curry as King Arthur.  (Joan Marcus)
Hank Azaria voices numerous characters on "The Simpsons."  (Fox Broadcasting Co.)
Hank Azaria attends a premiere in Hollywood, Calif. on Dec. 13, 2024.  (Ettiene Laurent/AFP via Getty Images)
Singer Bruce Springsteen performs at a campaign rally for former U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris in Philadelphia in October 2024.  (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Singer Bruce Springsteen performs at a campaign rally for former U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris in Philadelphia in October 2024.  (Matt Rourke/AP Photo)
Ettiene Laurent/AFP via Getty Images
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