Actor and comedian Jenny Slate announced that he will no longer play the character of Missy, a young black woman on Netflix. Big Mouth animated series, in a movement to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
“At the beginning of the show, I reasoned to myself that ‘Missy’ was allowed to play because her mother is Jewish and white, like me,” Slate wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday. “But ‘Missy’ is also black, and black characters in an animated show should be played by black people.”
Slate said that as a white woman playing a seventh-grade black student, “she was participating in an act of erasing black people,” as she tried to focus only on the character’s white story by justifying why she could play the paper.
The Netflix cartoon, created by Nick Kroll, has aired three seasons since its 2017 premiere. Three other series have already been ordered. Slate was part of a star cast that includes Maya Rudolph, Jordan Peele, John Mulaney and Fred Armisen.
Slate has already recorded the show’s fourth season, which will air with it included later in the year. Netflix will re-launch the role.
“I acknowledge that my original reasoning was flawed,” said Slate, “that it existed as an example of white privilege and unfair bonuses made within a system of social white supremacy, and that by playing ‘Missy’, I was participating in an act of erased from blacks. “
The comedian’s decision to stray from the role comes as Black Lives Matter protests have been sparked worldwide, following the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.
While many of the protests have focused on police brutality and the murder of black people, the social movement has also called for white people to examine their own racism and actively fight to be anti-racist, including giving up their own privileges and promoting black people. in their industries
“Ending the representation of ‘Missy’ is a step in a lifelong process to uncover racism in my actions,” Slate wrote.
“Looking back at nature and the emergencies of my own voice in comedy, I know I’ve made mistakes along the way,” Slate wrote. “I cannot change the past, but I can take responsibility for my choices. I will continue to engage in meaningful anti-racist action, be thoughtful about the messages in my work, be curious and open to comment, and do my best to take responsibility for the ways that I’m part of the problem. “
Also on Wednesday, the creative team behind Apple’s upcoming animated series Central Park announced that Kristen Bell would be rebroadcast as the voice behind mixed-race character Molly Tillerman.
“Kristen Bell is an extraordinarily talented actress who joined the cast of Central Park since almost day one of the show’s development, before there was even a character for her, and since then she has put on a fun, heartfelt, and beautiful performance, “the show’s team said in a statement.” But upon reflection, Kristen, along with the entire creative team, acknowledges that Molly’s character cast is an opportunity to get the right portrayal: choosing a black or mixed-race actress and giving Molly a voice that resonates with everyone. the nuances and experiences of the character as we have drawn it. “
They added that Bell will continue to be part of the show in a new role.
Big Mouth and Central Park they are the last show affected by the Black Lives Matter movement. Both of them 30 rocks and Scrubs They have had episodes featuring blackface characters pulled from streaming services this week.
