Smurf at Last!         FUNKO SMURFS!      BUY CLASSIC SMURF FIGURE PACK
home | SMURF VALUE | FIGURINES | SMURF FACTS | FUN | SMURF FORUM
Smurfs Movie 2025  Burger King Smurfs  Fan Art  Smurf Song  Smurfs Character Names  Cartoon Episode Guide
What is your Smurf Nickname?  Promo Smurf Figurines  Make a Smurf Costume  Smurfette  Send a Smurf Greeting Card
»
HANK AZARIA BIOGRAPHY
Hank Azaria
actor, voice actor, writer, and director
Hank Azaria

Name: Henry Albert Azaria

Birth: April 25, 1964 in New York City, NY

Best Known For:
MOVIES

Smurfs Films
(Gargamel)

Godzilla

Birdcage

Along Came Polly

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
TV SERIES

The Simpsons

Free Agents

Huff

Friends

Mad About You
HANK AZARIA: Trivia & Fun Facts
Smurfs Movie Premiere
Smurfs 2 Photo Call
Role of Gargamel
Smurfy Interview
Fun Pics of Hank
The Simpsons Voices
Hank Azaria is a performer of many talents. Hank is famous for his voice work on the long running animated series, The Simpsons. On The Simpsons, Hank voices enumerate characters, including Moe the Bartender, Chief Wiggum, Apu and many more. Although Hank has a distinct vocal style, he brings each character he voices a unique sound and rhythm.

In addition to voice work, Hank Azaria is also a well-known actor, and has appeared in television shows and movies for decades. In 2004, Hank directed his first short film, Nobody's Perfect, a cute romantic comedy.

Playing Gargamel in the Smurfs films, Hank is a natural at capturing the comic-book stylings of Peyo's evil wizard. Using his knowledge of voice-overs, cartoons, and live-acting, Azaria crafts a pitch-perfect Gargamel. Hank physically transforms himself into the embodiment of a wizard, and with his transformation it is easy to believe that Gargamel is a living, breathing man. Hank Azaria's comic timing and musings allow Gargamel to wax endlessly on how he wants to destroy the Smurfs, in the most horrible way possible, yet he still ends up being lovable to the viewer.
SMURFY INTERVIEW WITH HANK AZARIA

Gargamel Catching Smurfs
Gargamel Catching The Smurfs
Hank Azaria's experience with The Smurfs growing up...

"I was a little too old when The Smurfs were on. I was born in '64, so I was around twenty when they come out. But I still watched them anyway because I'm immature. I liked them. I thought they were really quaint and cute. They're hypnotizing. You get engaged by them."

Gargamel's relationship to The Smurfs is explained by Hank...

"I think he just hates the Smurfs – they're such a happy family and he's so alone with only his cat. He's driven by just plain-old hate. He's a pretty juicy character on so many levels."

Hank's take on what motivates Gargamel...

"Gargamel's very theatrical – not only does he want to be a great wizard, he wants to be worshipped and considered a genius. He wants all that good press."
THE ROLE OF GARGAMEL

Transforming into Gargamel required hours in the make-up chair for Hank...

"It starts with the ears. Gargamel has big old ears and a big old nose and there‘s a lot of painting that goes on to make it all even."

Then comes the hair – though Azaria was able to make that process an easier experience by shaving his head...

"They apply Gargamel‘s strange monkish hair, and then the eyebrows come on and then I pop in some big, weird buck teeth."

Those big teeth sometimes went flying out of Azaria‘s mouth during a scene...

"They were hard at first. It literally took practice to talk with them. And they did occasionally fly out of my mouth in the middle of particularly screamy takes."
Hank Azaria plays Gargamel
Gargamel & His Cat Azrael
Smurfs Movie World Premiere
Hank Azaria attends the premiere of The Smurfs Movie at the Ziegfeld Theater on July 24, 2011 in New York City. He walked the "blue carpet" with the rest of the cast - including Katy Perry (Smurfette), Neil Patrick Harris (Patrick Winslow), Jayma Mays (Grace Winslow), Sofia Vergara (Odile), George Lopez (Grouchy Smurf), Jeff Foxworthy (Handy Smurf) - and most importantly, his two-year-old son Hal Azaria!
Hank Azaria & Papa Smurf
Papa Smurf & Hank Azaria
Hank Azaria at Smurfs World Premiere
The Smurfs Movie Premiere
Hank Azaria & son Hal
Hank & son Hal
TRIVIA
Both sets of Hank's grandparents came from Salonika in Greece.

Hank trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York (along with Sharon Stone).

Watching Jack Lemmon made Hank want to get into show business.

Hank shares his April 25th Birthday with famous actors Al Pacino, Renee Zellweger and jazz musician Ella Fitzgerald.
FUN FACTS
* Hank has done over 160 different character voices on The Simpsons. He often bases his characters on actors or people he knows.

* Hank was only 22 years old when he auditioned for Moe Szyslak on The Simpsons.

* Hank has said, "Although I play Moe, Apu, Wiggum, Professor Frink, oddly I feel like Lisa Simpson inside. I've been doing silly voices since I was a child - it's a nice outlet for that."

* From the borough of Queens, New York City.
Hank Azaria with Homer Simpson
Hank Azaria with Homer Simpson
Simpsons Characters by Hank Azaria
Simpsons Characters by Hank Azaria
The Simpsons Voices of Hank Azaria

Moe the Bartender
Lou the Cop
Comic Book Guy
Chief Wiggum
Apu the Qwik-E-Mart Employee
Dr. Nick Riviera
Based On / Influenced By:

- actor Al Pacino
- actor Sylvester Stallone
- his college roommate
- actor Edward G. Robinson
- Peter Sellers' character Hrundi V. Bakshi
- bad Ricky Ricardo impression
THE SMURFS 2 PHOTO CALL - A CANCUN PARTY!
Hank Azaria at Smurfs 2 Mexico Photo Call
Hank Azaria at Mexico Photo Call
The Smurfs Cast in Cancun, Mexico
The Smurfs Cast in Cancun, Mexico
Hank Azaria Lights Eiffel Tower
Hank, Katy & Neil Light Up Eiffel Tower
Hank Azaria is Gargamel The Great
Hank Azaria is Gargamel The Great!
Fun Hank Azaria Pictures
Hank Azaria Black & White Photo
Hank Azaria
Night at the Museum
Night at the Museum
Bald Hank as Gargamel
Bald Hank... as Gargamel?
The Smurfs will return after these messages:
WE HAVE MANY MORE PICTURES OF SMURFS THAN JUST THIS!
If you're looking for pictures of Smurfs, then what you see above is just the beginning of what we have to offer! BlueBuddies.com has thousands of Smurf pics and thousands of smurfy items of interest. To check out the whole gallery visit our main page - click here!
Sign-up for the Smurfs BBS and get a smurfy avatar like this beside your name - click here!
BlueBuddies - Home of the Smurfs
Smurf Search!
BLUEBUDDIES SEARCH
Message Board Search
Advanced Search
Help / Search Tips
 


BLUEBUDDIES.COM: THE WORLD'S LARGEST SMURF COMPENDIUM
Copyright © 1995-2025 BlueBuddies.com. Privacy Policy: We respect your privacy. Please read our full privacy statement here. Site usage implies acceptance of our Terms & Conditions. Smurf is copyright Peyo. BlueBuddies.com is a Smurf resource neither sponsored nor endorsed by Peyo or its licensees.   Subscribe to our RSS FeedSubscribe to the BlueBuddies RSS Feed.