CENTRAL PARK to Recast Kristen Bell Role 'Molly' With An Actor of Color

Responding to calls for racially accurate casting, Josh Gad, one of the creators of the new musical animated series, Central Park, has announced that the mixed race character 'Molly' will be recast.

Gad announced the show's intention to cast a 'black or mixed race actress' in the role to replace original star, Kristen Bell. According to the announcement Bell will stay with the show as a different character.

Of the recasting, Bell said on Instagram, "Playing the character of Molly on Central Park shows a lack of awareness of my pervasive privilege. Casting a mixed race character with a white actress undermines the specificity of the mixed race and Black American experience. It was wrong and we, on the Central Park team, are pledging to make it right. I am happy to relinquish this role to someone who can give a much more accurate portrayal and I will commit to learning, growing and doing my part for equality and inclusion."

Read the full statement here:

The news comes on the heels of the announcement that comedian Jenny Slate would also step down from the black voice role of 'Missy' on the Netflix animated series, Big Mouth, from Oh, Hello! star Nick Kroll.

Apple TV+ recently debuted Central Park, a brand new musical animated series from Josh Gad, Loren Bouchard, and Nora Smith.

The series follows the Tillermans, a family that lives in Central Park. Owen, the park manager, and Paige, his journalist wife, raise their kids Molly and Cole in the world's most famous park, while fending off hotel heiress Bitsy Brandenham and her long suffering assistant Helen, who would love nothing more than to turn the park into condos.

The voice cast of Central Park also includes Josh Gad, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess, Daveed Diggs and Stanley Tucci.