Jenny Slate announced Wednesday she would be leaving Big Mouth as the entertainment industry continues to reckon with cases of racial injustice. While it's not always as apparent as it is in live-action movies and television, there are racial discrepancies between characters and actors in animated properties as well. One of the most well-known examples is the character of Apu on The Simpsons, who was voiced by Hank Azaria before he decided to step away from the role this year.
On Big Mouth, Slate voiced Missy, one of the leading female protagonists on the show. The talkative and shy girl - who often serves as a love interest for John Mulaney's character, Andrew - is known to be biracial, as she is shown multiple times to have an African-American father and Caucasian mother. Slate, on the other hand, is Caucasian.
It's with that in mind that Slate decided to step away from playing Missy on Big Mouth. The actress and comedian took to Instagram to announce the news. In her post, she talked about her rationale for taking on the role in the first place, believing that Missy's mother being white and Jewish gave Slate permission to play the part of Missy, as Slate is also white and Jewish. Slate also apologized for any "mistakes" she's made while promising to be more anti-racist moving forward, concluding her post by writing "Black Lives Matter."
The question about what this will mean for Big Mouth was quickly answered by one of the series' creators, Nick Kroll. The comedian posted a message on Twitter, discussing the mutual parting of ways with Slate from the show before revealing that the character of Missy would not be going anywhere. Instead, the role will be recast with a black actor voicing her going forward. Kroll's message was signed by all four of the Big Mouth creators.
Transitioning Missy from a white actress to a black actress addresses an erasure of black voices from the show (and can serve as a template The Simpsons can follow with Apu). Missy is a main character, but her development always seemed to lag behind other characters, such as Andrew, Nick, and Jessi. Slate voiced other miscellaneous characters on the show, and it's unclear if she will return to do that again in the future, as the series has at least three more seasons left on its Netflix deal, beginning this fall. Regardless, Jenny Slate and Big Mouth are finally doing right by Missy by giving her portrayal to a black actress whose casting will be eagerly anticipated by fans of the show.
Sources: Jenny Slate/Instagram, Nick Kroll/Twitter
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