The critically acclaimed Netflix original animated series, Big Mouth, had a sizable shake-up when Jenny Slate quit her position as the voice actress of Missy, a biracial character with African-American physical features and dark skin.
As varied companies sought to reform their public image after the racial reckoning from the George Floyd protests, Slate stepped away from the rolE, having grown to perceive her voicing Missy as insensitive to African-Americans.
Said Slate, "At the start of the show, I reasoned with myself that it was 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."
In her place, Netflix has hired African-American comedian Ayo Edebiri. Edebiri also joins the show as a writer after having worked with comedy heavyweights Kal Penn, Tina Fey, and Ben Schwartz.
Her introduction to the show was swift, as Slate stepped down while the fourth season had yet to finish production. Edebiri is likely to remain on the cast and crew for some time, as Netflix has already renewed Big Mouth for a total of six seasons. Season four of Big Mouth is expected to air on Netflix this fall.
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