© 20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection"The Simpsons" episode, "Orange Is The New Yellow."
"Moving forward, 'The Simpsons' will no longer have white actors voice non-white characters," the network said Friday.
The move comes as several television shows have pulled episodes featuring blackface from their streaming platforms, and amid a nation dealing with controversial depictions of race on TV and film.
On "The Simpsons," Hank Azaria has been the voice of the black cartoon character Carlton Carlson. He also was known for voicing Apu, a character which has long been criticized for portraying a racist depiction of an Indian person. Azaria announced in 2017 he would no longer voice the character.
Harry Shearer voices the black character Dr. Julius M. Hibbert, one of several characters he voices, including Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy and Kent Brockman.
Fox's new policy follows announcements several white actors, including Jenny Slate and Kristen Bell, who have agreed to stop voicing characters who are biracial. Mike Henry announced Friday that he would no longer voice the black Cleveland Brown character on Fox's animated "Family Guy."
Source: Deadline
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