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Ayo Edebiri has joined the cast of Big Mouth, replacing Jenny Slate and taking over the role of Missy.
Slate has voiced Missy since the first season of the Netflix animated comedy, but left the role a few weeks ago. Slate, who is white, explained that her reason for leaving was that she felt the character of Missy, a Black girl, should be voiced by a Black actor. This decision came amid an on-going conversation in Hollywood about representation and whitewashing, but with a special focus on animation, where white actors often voice characters of color.
According to Netflix’s press release on the Edebiri taking over the role, she will first appear in the penultimate episode of season 4, then again in the season’s last episode. Edebiri will also voice Missy for all upcoming seasons. On top of joining the voice cast of Big Mouth, Edebiri will also be stepping into the writers room for season 5.
Big Mouth season 4 doesn’t have a release date quite yet, but is expected to be released by Netflix sometime this fall. Netflix has already renewed the show for at least six seasons.
