Editing Hank Azaria (section)

===Early career (1986–1988)===
Azaria got along with talent agent Harry Gold, who was lukewarm about working with him but still sent him out for auditions after a woman Azaria had worked with in New York "got really furious with [Gold]" for breaking his promise to work with Azaria.<ref name=avclub /> He made his television debut with a role in the pilot episode of the 1986 [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] comedy-drama series ''[[Joe Bash]]''.<ref name=godzilla /><ref name=msn /> His part—a one-line role as the police officer Maldonado—was edited out before the show was broadcast, although the role secured him admission to the [[Screen Actors Guild]].<ref name=avclub /> Azaria appeared 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.<ref name=avclub /> He played Joe in an episode of the sitcom ''[[Family Ties]]'' in 1988 in which he had one line, and the following year he played Steve Stevenson in an episode of ''[[Growing Pains]]''.<ref name=avclub>{{cite news |url=https://www.avclub.com/articles/hank-azaria,61696/1/ |title=Random Roles – Hank Azaria |author=Harris, Will |date=September 14, 2011 |access-date=September 21, 2011 |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |archive-date=September 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925104035/http://www.avclub.com/articles/hank-azaria,61696/1/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Azaria has described his career progression as being gradual; he did not achieve overnight recognition or fame.<ref name=freshair /> In Los Angeles, Azaria was trained by acting coach [[Roy London]].<ref name=awards /> Between acting jobs he performed as a stand-up comedian,<ref name=msn /> and worked as a bartender for a catering firm.<ref name=godzilla>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-20-ca-51549-story.html |title=He Faced the Lizard and Lived to Tell |work=Los Angeles Times |date=May 20, 1998 |author=Smith, Steven |access-date=September 22, 2011}}</ref>