Kristen Bell drops out of voicing a mixed-race character on Apple TV+'s Central Park

Variety

A Black or mixed-race actress will take over the animated role of Molly Tillerman, Central Park creators announced in a statement this afternoon shortly after Jenny Slate dropped out of Big Mouth for also playing a mixed-race character who is half black. "After reflection, Kristen, along with the entire creative team, recognizes that the casting of the character of Molly is an opportunity to get representation right – to cast a Black or mixed race actress and give Molly a voice that resonates with all of the nuance and experiences of the character as we’ve drawn her," creators Loren Bouchard, Josh Gad and Nora Smith said in a statement along with producers Halstead Sullivan and Sanjay Shah. "Kristen will continue to be a part of the heart of the show in a new role but we will find a new actress to lend her voice to Molly. We profoundly regret that we might have contributed to anyone’s feeling of exclusion or erasure. Black people and people of color have worked and will continue to work on Central Park but we can do better. We’re committed to creating opportunities for people of color and Black people in all roles, on all our projects – behind the mic, in the writers room, in production, and in post-production. Animation will be stronger for having as many voices, experiences, and perspectives as we can possibly bring into the industry. Our shop and our show will be better for respecting the nuances and complexity around the issue of representation and trying to get it right.” In January, Bouchard defended casting Bell in the mixed-race role, telling The Hollywood Reporter: "Kristen needed to voice Molly — we couldn't not make her Molly, and then we couldn't make Molly white and couldn't make Kristen mixed-race. Then you arrive there and keep doing it as best you can to turn around and give someone an opportunity who wasn't getting it. A commitment to diversity isn't some odd job, it's a commitment to making it better."