Hank Azaria created more than 100 voices for The Simpsons, including Moe the Bartender, Chief Wiggum and (formerly) Apu. So why is the single most talented voice actor of his generation, at 60 years old, suddenly the lead singer of a Springsteen tribute band? Because — in recovery from the fear that helped originate his superpower, the failure that forced him to embrace "character acting," the cancellation that became a case study, and the threat of A.I. — he was overtaken by Bruce Juice. And today, inside PTFO's studio, he takes the stage. • Catch Hank Azaria and the EZ Street Band on Tour https://www.ezstreetnyc.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What inspired Hank Azaria to become a singer?
My friend calls it Bruce juice. It's the insanity that overtakes you when you see Bruce Springsteen. Certainly true of me. So he's always been that guy to you? Always. Since I was about 12. Yeah.
So this, in other words, this is on some level for the people gathered at your 60th birthday party. Those who've known you the longest were not totally surprised.
Oh, no. this was going to be i'd say most of my friends are right with me on that bruce mania but you know part of why i developed the show is i knew that about maybe half or third of the audience would not be such big bruce fans so i felt like i should introduce the songs give context for them tell them what they meant to me or give background of the of the song itself
And that kind of created these, and do it as Bruce. And I wasn't sure whether that would work. I'm like, this is kind of weird. But for me, it's kind of natural taking on a vocal character and sort of giving it some kind of life. That's sort of my gig. So that's what I did.
And it worked.
Hank, I dare say that my fandom of you is, I am constantly trying to negotiate, like, when does the compliment I want to pay also sound like an insult on some level? Well, you're kind of a human jukebox. You're kind of this, like, squeeze toy. I just want to keep on, like, poking and prodding. Are you, like, just a new version of an Elvis impersonator now? Kinda.
I want to be kind and polite, but also like plumb the depths of what you've considered about this being the thing you're devoting The 60s, your 60s too.
Yeah, it's a good question. I've asked myself the same question several times. Because, you know, part of doing anything, I'm sure you experience it. You wake up in the middle of the night, sometimes you're like, what am I doing? Like, you grew up with you, right? So, you know, boy, it's imposter syndrome, they call it. Like, I've really faked a lot of people out to get where I am.
But when you say the term imposter syndrome, I feel like there's a bit more literalism in the sense that you are, again, not to be pejorative, a professional imposter.
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Chapter 2: How did Hank's Springsteen tribute band come about?
So there's an element of that. You know, to put it in like brutal bottom line box office Hollywood terms, you get an opportunity or two or three if you hit a certain level as an actor to, you know, hit the next level or two. And the two or three movies that I did that were that opportunity tanked. They didn't do well. Godzilla.
What the hell is that?
Mystery Men.
Seeing as it's your first night and all, I suppose I'll fork give you if you fork get.
And a movie called Mystery Alaska.
The mystery team has a shot, right?
It was all movies that I starred in or had a big enough role where, and I think if maybe anyone of those movies had done really well, I might have been able to continue to parlay that into more lead roles and this and that.
Are you suggesting, by the way, that if Godzilla was a bigger hit, we would never have gotten Along Came Polly?
Hippopotamus, he is not one going, cool bean, I am a hippo. No way, José. So he tried to paint the stripe on himself to be like the zebra, but he fooled no one. Then he tried to put this spot on his skin to be like the leopard, but everyone know he is a hippo. So at certain point, he look himself in the mirror, and he just say, hey, I am a hippopotamus, and there is nothing I can do about it.
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