Actress Jenny Slate revealed that she will be exiting from Netflix’s animated show ‘Big Mouth’ and says Black characters should be played by Black actors.
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According to Variety, Jenny Slate is removing herself from the show after playing the biracial character Missy for three seasons. Although Missy has a black father and white mother, Slate says the character should be portrayed by a Black actor and she initially took on the role because she shares the same heritage as Missy’s mother.
In an Instagram post, Slate wrote the following: “I have come to the decision today that I can no longer play the character “Missy” on the animated TV show “Big Mouth.” At the start of the show, I reasoned with myself that it is permissible for me to play “Missy” because her mom is Jewish and White–as am I. But “Missy” is also Black and Black characters on an animated show should be played by Black people. I acknowledged that my original reasoning was flawed, that it existed as an example of white privilege and unjust allowance made within a system of societal white supremacy, and that is me playing “Missy.” I was engaging in an act of erasure of Black people.”
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The creators of “Big Mouth” Nick Kroll, Andrew Goldberg, Mark Levin, and Jennifer Flacket stated they had a discussion with Slate prior to her decision and said, “We sincerely apologize for and regret our original decision to cast a white actor to voice a biracial character.” Additionally, they are planning to recast the role with a Black actor.
— nick kroll (@nickkroll) June 24, 2020
Season 4 has wrapped up for post-production but the recast decision will most likely happen for Season 5.