Jenny Slate is stepping out of her role as Missy (pictured above, center) on the Netflix show “Big Mouth” because the character is biracial while Slate is white.
“At the beginning of the show, I reasoned with myself that ‘Missy’ was allowed to play because her mother is Jewish and white, like me,” Slate wrote on Instagram. But ‘Missy’ is also black and black characters in an animated show that must be played by black people. ”
Slate acknowledged that by portraying Missy he was “participating in an act of blacking out.” “Ending my interpretation of ‘Missy’ is a step in a lifelong process to discover racism in my actions,” she continued.
Slate’s full statement can be read below.
“Big Mouth” co-creators Nick Kroll, Andrew Goldberg, Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett also released a statement in support of Slate’s decision. “We sincerely apologize and regret our original decision to choose a white actor to portray a biracial character.”
The creators promised to recast the role with a black actor. “We look forward to exploring Missy’s history more authentically in the years to come,” they concluded.
It was announced last year that Netflix had renewed “Big Mouth” for three more seasons, bringing the show to a total of six seasons. Season 3 of the show aired in October. There is currently no set release date for season 4.
