In a recent Instagram post, Jenny Slate announced she will no longer be the voice of Missy, a black character on the popular Netflix series Big Mouth. "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," she wrote.
Slate added that her playing Missy was an “example of white privilege and unjust allowances made within a system of societal white supremacy.” She says it is one of many missteps she has made throughout her career and vows to “engage in meaningful anti-racist action, be thoughtful about the messages in my work, be open and curious to feedback, and do my best to take responsibilities for the ways that I am part of of the problem.”
Big Mouth’s creators expressed support for Slate’s decision and statement, writing "After thoughtful discussion with us and our Black collaborators, Jenny Slate has decided, and we wholeheartedly agree, that Missy on Big Mouth should be voiced by a Black actor." "We sincerely apologize for and regret our original decision to cast a white actor to voice a biracial character. We made a mistake, took our privilege for granted, and we're working hard to do better moving forward."
Check out Slate’s full post below.