Jenny Slate Elects To Stop Voicing Black "Big Mouth" Character, Reigniting Representation In Voice Acting Debate

June 25th, 2020 - 2:04 PM EDT by Adam Downer

15 comments | Contact Newsroom

Jenny Slate and big mouth character

Comedian Jenny Slate has announced she will no longer voice the mixed-race character Missy Foreman-Greenwald on Netflix's Big Mouth, saying that black characters on an animated show should be voiced by black people.

Slate announced the decision on her Instagram, saying that by voicing Missy, she was contributing to the erasure of black people.

Some praised her decision. "This is amazing and a perfect example of how to be an ally!! I love Big Mouth but will definitely support your next project, Thank you," wrote one commenter. "This decision could not have been easy. Thank you for leading by example," wrote another.

However, there were also several responses to the post which foretold a debate that would later spill over into Twitter. "This is absolute foolishness. Like come on man. & this is coming from a black man," wrote a commenter.

As the news spread to Twitter, users there began debating about representation in voice acting and if Slate's decision was justified. Again, some people were supportive:

But others found that the decision was a step too far, noting that numerous voice actors have done phenomenal jobs despite not being the race of their character (though none of these examples were of non-black actors playing black characters).

The frequent arguments led "Bart Simpson" and "James Earl Jones" to trend on Twitter throughout the day, as people sparred back and forth about the other side's argument.

As for Slate, at the moment it does not appear as though she will take on another role in Big Mouth, unlike Kristen Bell, who also stepped down from voicing a black character in Central Park and was recast in another role.


Top Comments

Anime tiddes
Anime tiddes

You know what separates voice acting from traditional acting? It's the fact that you don't need to look exactly like the character. You don't need to share their race or their appearance, all you need is to embody their voice, their means of communication. It's probably the most colorblind form of acting there is.

Take Phil La Marr for example. In real life he's black, but he's voiced a bunch of characters who aren't black, such as Samurai Jack, who is Japanese and Vamp, who is Romanian.

It isn't down to La Marr's race or appearance, it's the sound of his voice and the various ranges he can do with it. That to me is what makes voice acting so unique. Trying to make it so only black or mixed voice actors can voice black or mixed characters destroys that uniqueness.

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