Editing Hank Azaria (section)

====Television work====
[[File:Hank Azaria (25729757142) (cropped).jpg|thumb|Hank Azaria in 2016]]
With the continuing success of ''The Simpsons'', Azaria began taking on other, principally live-action roles. He was a main cast member on the show ''[[Herman's Head]]'' (1991–1994) playing Jay Nichols, alongside ''The Simpsons'' co-star [[Yeardley Smith]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Herman's Head |author=Lewisohn, Mark |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/h/hermanshead_1299001449.shtml |access-date=August 16, 2007 |work=BBC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040212000254/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/h/hermanshead_1299001449.shtml |archive-date=February 12, 2004}}</ref> He regularly recorded for ''The Simpsons'' and filmed ''Herman's Head'' during the same day.<ref name=Worcester/> Following the series' cancellation Azaria unsuccessfully auditioned for the role of [[Joey Tribbiani]], one of the lead characters in the sitcom ''[[Friends]]''.<ref name=avclub/> He was instead cast in the role of the scientist David, one of [[Phoebe Buffay]] ([[Lisa Kudrow]])'s boyfriends in the series. He appeared in the show's tenth episode "[[The One with the Monkey]]", before the character left for a research trip in [[Minsk]]. He reprised the role in the show's [[Friends season 7|seventh season]] (2001), before making several appearances in the [[Friends season 9|ninth]] (2003). This return culminates in David proposing to Phoebe; she rejects him, and David leaves the show for good.<ref name=avclub/><ref name=awards/> From 1995 to 1999, Azaria had a recurring role in the sitcom ''[[Mad About You]]'' as Nat Ostertag, the dog walker.<ref name="parents"/> Azaria was nominated for the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series]] for his roles in both ''Mad About You'' (in 1998) and ''Friends'' (in 2003).<ref name="emmys"/> Azaria had the lead role in the short-lived sitcom ''[[If Not for You (TV series)|If Not for You]]'' in 1995, playing record producer Craig Schaeffer.<ref name=newsday>{{cite news |url=http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/take-5-hank-for-the-memories-1.3154858 |title=Take 5: Hank for the memories |work=Newsday |author=Edelstein, Anthony |date=September 8, 2011 |access-date=September 8, 2011}}</ref>

Azaria produced and starred in the sitcom ''[[Imagine That (TV series)|Imagine That]]'' in 2002, replacing ''[[Emeril (TV series)|Emeril]]'' mid-season in the [[NBC]] lineup. He played Josh Miller, a comedy writer, who "transformed" each episode into a character Miller has imagined, "provid[ing] a humorous outlet for his frustrations at home and work".<ref name=faces/><ref>{{cite news |title=Funny guy Azaria gets his own show |work=[[Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |date=January 7, 2002 |first=Jill |last=Vejnoska |page=D1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=NBC yanks 'Emeril,' inserts 'Hank Azaria' – But future of replacement isn't too secure |work=[[The Deseret News]] |author=Pierce, Scott D. |date=December 6, 2001 |page=C08}}</ref> Production closed after five episodes and it was canceled after just two aired, due to poor critical reaction and ratings.<ref>{{cite news |title=Too-weak 'Imagine That' yanked after two weeks |date=January 21, 2002 |work=Houston Chronicle |page=3}}</ref> Azaria later commented on the show: "I wanted to do something really truthful and interesting and impactful. We had a bunch of executives sitting in the room, all agreeing that ''[[The Larry Sanders Show]]'' was our favorite thing on television, but we couldn't do it on NBC, and nor would we want to from a business standpoint; it simply wouldn't make enough money. By the time it aired, the writing was sort of on the wall, and I don't blame them at all. It was apparent it wasn't working."<ref name=msn/>

He starred as [[psychiatrist]] Craig "Huff" Huffstodt in the [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]] drama series ''[[Huff (TV series)|Huff]]'', which ran for two seasons between 2004 and 2006, airing 24 episodes.<ref name=essential/><ref name=huffend/> Azaria served as an executive producer on the show and directed an episode of its second season.<ref name=mania>{{cite news |title=Playing Huff |url=http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/7960 |access-date=August 15, 2007 |date=March 31, 2006 |author=Lipton, Brian Scott |work=Theater Mania |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070718130602/http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/7960 |archive-date=July 18, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After reading the pilot script, he sent it to Platt, who took the role of Huff's friend Russell Tupper.<ref name=nyt/> Azaria enjoyed working on the show,<ref name=mania/> but struggled with the bleak subject matter and was often in dispute with its creator Bob Lowry, noting that it "was tough to marry our visions all the time, [because] we both cared so much about it that neither of us were willing to let go."<ref name=avclub/> [[Gillian Flynn]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' called Azaria "impressively subtle" in the role,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2004/11/05/huff/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126193603/http://www.ew.com/article/2004/11/05/huff |url-status=live |archive-date=November 26, 2015 |title=Huff |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=November 5, 2004 |access-date=August 1, 2011 |author=Flynn, Gillian}}</ref> while [[John Leonard (critic)|John Leonard]] of ''[[New York (magazine)|New York magazine]]'' said he was a "shrewd bit of casting."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/tv/reviews/10261/ |title=Crazy/Dutiful |author=Leonard, John |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=May 21, 2005 |access-date=August 1, 2011}}</ref> The show garnered seven [[Primetime Emmy Awards|Emmy]] nominations in 2005, including a nomination for Azaria for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series]].<ref name="emmys"/> Despite the awards, the show continually received low ratings, and Showtime chose not to commission it for a third season.<ref name=huffend>{{cite news|title=Showtime Stops 'Huff'-ing |url=http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-huffcancellation,0,3078116.story?coll=zap-news-headlines |access-date=August 15, 2007 |date=June 23, 2006 |work=Zap2it |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012152321/http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-huffcancellation%2C0%2C3078116.story?coll=zap-news-headlines |archive-date=October 12, 2007 }}</ref>

Returning to live-action television in 2011, Azaria starred in the NBC sitcom ''[[Free Agents (American TV series)|Free Agents]]'', a remake of the British [[Free Agents|series of the same name]]. He played Alex Taylor, a recently divorced public relations executive "who is missing his kids and trying to keep himself together", and ends up sleeping with a co-worker Helen Ryan ([[Kathryn Hahn]]).<ref name=nbcbio>{{cite web |url=http://www.nbc.com/free-agents/about/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130129143744/http://www.nbc.com/free-agents/about/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 29, 2013 |title=About the Show |publisher=[[NBC.com]] |access-date=September 14, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/05/13/chelsea-handler-nbc/ |title=Chelsea Handler's sitcom gets greenlight at NBC |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=May 14, 2011 |author=Hibberd, James |date=May 13, 2011}}</ref> Azaria also served as a producer on the show.<ref name=avclub/> He was apprehensive about the project, disliking the lengthy schedule required of a lead actor in a single-camera series, and favoring the "sensibility" of cable shows. However, he liked the script and executive producer John Enbom's previous series ''[[Party Down]]'' and decided to accept the part.<ref name=sunday>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-sep-11-la-ca-conversation-20110911-story.html |title=The Sunday Conversation: Hank Azaria |work=Los Angeles Times|date=September 11, 2011 |access-date=September 14, 2011 |author=Lacher, Irene}}</ref> Despite Azaria mounting a campaign on [[Twitter]] to save it,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hankazaria-idUSTRE7945WR20111005 |title=Hank Azaria mounts Twitter campaign to save "Free Agents" |work=Reuters |access-date=October 6, 2011 |author=Molloy, Tom |date=October 5, 2011}}</ref> the series was canceled after four episodes due to low ratings.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/free-agents-canceled-by-nbc/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120723061354/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-20116777-10391698.html |url-status=live |archive-date=July 23, 2012 |title="Free Agents" canceled by NBC |author=Derschowitz, Jessica |date=October 6, 2011 |publisher=[[CBS News]] |access-date=October 6, 2011}}</ref> Between 2014 and 2016, Azaria had a recurring role in the second, third and fourth season of Showtime's ''[[Ray Donovan]]'', playing [[FBI]] agent Ed Cochran.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/showtimes-ray-donovan-adds-hank-677506|title=Showtime's 'Ray Donovan' Adds Hank Azaria for Season 2|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|author=Goldberg, Lesley|date=February 5, 2014|access-date=February 7, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/emmys-hank-azaria-ray-donovan-000000888.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFFwNp8WSRzN116zamuZB1ANcW49SZrM2WX-xEezUA1fl2iX8ooq26LcXjOaZOra-klQZOTi698w4YUWBoKCRYRIwMUD6Hhbf3eGboVzvBht-DQ7GRCsrvsfVEDkxFL50prmDZmjkgnY4swvHrkB51jZBfMxx0yBOcK0_sDiLP0X|title=Emmy Talk: Hank Azaria on the Fun of Playing His Disgraced 'Ray Donovan' FBI Agent, Ed Cochran|publisher=Yahoo! Entertainment|accessdate=2024-02-18|date=2016-08-26|author=Potts, Kimberly}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/awards-chatter-podcast-hank-azaria-921789/|publisher=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|author=Feinberg, Scott|accessdate=2024-02-18|title=Awards Chatter' Podcast — Hank Azaria ('Ray Donovan')|date=2016-08-24}}</ref> He won the Emmy for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series|Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series]] for his work on the show in 2016, as well as earning a further nomination the same category the following year.<ref name=azariaemmy/>

Azaria starred in the [[IFC (U.S. TV network)|IFC]] series ''[[Brockmire]]'', which ran for four seasons from 2017-2020.<ref name="SeriesOrder">{{cite web|last=Littleton|first=Cynthia|title=IFC Orders Comedy Series 'Brockmire,' 'Stan Against Evil' From Hank Azaria, Dana Gould|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/ifc-hank-azaria-brockmire-dana-gould-comedy-series-1201711803/|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=February 22, 2016|access-date=March 25, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Schwartz|first=Ryan|title=Brockmire to End With Future-Set Season 4 — Plus: Who's Returning? |url=https://tvline.com/2019/12/12/brockmire-ending-final-season-4/|work=[[TVLine]]|date=December 12, 2019}}</ref> He played the lead role of Jim Brockmire, a legendary baseball announcer, fired for a profanity-filled breakdown live on air after discovering his wife Lucy Brockmire ([[Katie Finneran]]) was having an affair. Azaria based the voice and style of Brockmire on several veteran sportscasters, including [[Bob Murphy (announcer)|Bob Murphy]] and [[Phil Rizzuto]].<ref name=brock1>{{cite interview |last=Azaria |first=Hank |interviewer=[[Dan Patrick (sportscaster)|Dan Patrick]] |title=Hank Azaria talks about the legend of Jim Brockmire |work=[[The Dan Patrick Show]] |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/blog/109541/index.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100509204941/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/blog/109541/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 9, 2010 |location=[[Milford, Connecticut]] |date=May 6, 2010 |access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref> The character originated as part of the third episode of the [[Funny or Die]] web-series ''Gamechangers'', entitled "A Legend in the Booth", which Azaria also co-wrote.<ref name=brock1/> He subsequently appeared as Brockmire on the [[NFL Network]]'s ''[[Rich Eisen|The Rich Eisen Podcast]]'' to discuss the [[National Football League]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Eisen |first=Rich |url=http://richeisen.nfl.com/2012/09/05/rich-eisen-podcast-michael-lombardi-afc-south-preview-and-jim-brockmire/ |title=Rich Eisen Podcast: Michael Lombardi AFC South preview and Jim Brockmire |date=September 5, 2012 |access-date=September 6, 2012 |work=NFL.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120912045456/http://richeisen.nfl.com/2012/09/05/rich-eisen-podcast-michael-lombardi-afc-south-preview-and-jim-brockmire/ |archive-date=September 12, 2012 }}</ref> In November 2012, Azaria sued actor [[Craig Bierko]] over the ownership of the Brockmire voice.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://news-briefs.ew.com/2012/11/16/hank-azaria-sues-over-a-character-voice/ |title=Hank Azaria sues over a character voice |author=Strecker, Erin |date=November 16, 2012 |access-date=November 17, 2012 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> The case was ruled in Azaria's favor in 2014. Both actors had been using a baseball announcer voice before and since meeting at a party in 1990, but US district judge [[Gary Allen Feess]] ruled that only Azaria's voice was, as Brockmire, a defined, "tangible" character and thus subject to copyright.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/hank-azaria-wins-lawsuit-funny-682759|title=Hank Azaria Wins Lawsuit Over Funny Baseball Announcer Character|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=January 24, 2014|access-date=February 24, 2014|author=Gardner, Eriq}}</ref> In 2016, IFC confirmed development on the series, on which Azaria also served as an executive producer.<ref name="SeriesOrder"/> Azaria received three nominations for the [[Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series]] for his performance on the series.<ref>{{cite web|last=Tapley|first=Kristopher|title=Netflix, FX's 'Feud' Lead Critics' Choice TV Nominations|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/awards/critics-choice-tv-nominations-list-1202631798/|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=December 6, 2017|access-date=December 29, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Crist|first=Allison|title=Critics' Choice Awards: 'Roma,' 'Americans,' 'Mrs. Maisel' Top Winners|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2019-critics-choice-awards-winners-list-full-1172261|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=January 13, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Nordyke">{{cite web|last=Nordyke|first=Kimberly|title=Critics Choice TV Awards: 'The Crown,' 'Ozark' Lead Noms With 6 Apiece|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/critics-choice-tv-awards-the-crown-ozark-lead-noms-with-6-apiece|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=January 18, 2021|access-date=January 18, 2021}}</ref>