‘The Simpsons’ and ‘Family Guy’ to Recast White Actors Who Voiced Characters of Color

A glaring Emmy injustice was rectified last year when Netflix's BoJack Horseman — easily one of the smartest, funniest, best-written, best-looking and best-acted comedies of the past decade — finally garnered its first outstanding animated program nomination. Centered on the eponymous washed-up sitcom star (voiced by Will Arnett), Raphael Bob-Waksberg's Hollywood satire was hardly a hidden gem; fans and critics were united in their resounding praise.

UPDATE: July 6, 2020— , in which she revealed she may play a transgender man in her next movie, has re-sparked the issue of cisgender actors playing transgender roles.

Wendell Pierce is putting his name in the hat to take over the role of Cleveland Brown.

30 Rock and Golden Girls have been pulled from streaming services for (though the jury is definitely on that GG example), it seems like a more urgent transformation is happening in the world of animated TV. So far, , , Family Guy, and more shows are starting to answer for casting white actors as characters of color.

The Wire star Wendell Pierce wants to voice Cleveland in Family Guy after white actor Mike Henry stepped down from playing the African-American character.Henry has voiced Cleveland since Family Guy debuted in 1999, and also starred in spin-off series The Cleveland Show from 2009 and 2013, but announced he would step down last week (June 28, 20), in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests.On Sunday, Pierce put himself forward as a replacement, tweeting,Now that Mike Henry has consciously

Now that Mike Henry has stepped down from the role, Wendell Pierce said he would like to take over performing the voice of Cleveland Brown on Family Guy. Henry, who voiced the character for 20 years both on Fox'sFamily Guy and and four seasons on The Cleveland Show, announced last week he would no longer play the African American cartoon character amid a new push for characters of color to no longer be portrayed by white actors.

“Family Guy” needs a new actor to voice Cleveland, and Wendell Pierce wants to be that guy.

The Wire star Wendell Pierce has announced that he is starting a public campaign to become the voice of Family Guy character Cleveland Brown.Mike Henry, a white actor who has voiced the role of the black character since the cartoon’s beginning, announced last week that he would be stepping back from the part, saying “persons of colour should play characters of colour”.Following on from the news, Pierce tweeted: “Now that Mike Henry has consciously given up the role of Cleveland, I am publicly

Family Guy actor Mike Henry is stepping down from voicing the African-American character of Cleveland Brown to make way for a person of colour.Henry, who is white, originated the role back when the hit cartoon debuted in 1999, and also brought Brown to life on the spin-off series, The Cleveland Show, which ended after a four-season run in 2013. However, Henry has since announced he will no longer voice the part of Brown in the long-running Seth MacFarlane sitcom.

Hot New Hip Hop reported today that Mike Henry, who voiced the role of Cleveland Brown on Family Guy, finally stepped down from the position following more than two decades. On the 26th of June, the Family Guy cast member shared that he was stepping down from the position because he wasn’t a person of color.

we previously reported, actress Jenny Slate also abandoned her role on Netflix’s “Big Mouth”.She was one of the first actors to announce her resignation, and gave a lengthy explanation about her voicing a black character has contributed to racism and white privilege.  After 20 years, actor #MikeHenry has decided to step away from voicing Black character #ClevelandBrown. He says a person of color should have the role instead.

After 20 years, actor #MikeHenry has decided to step away from voicing Black character #ClevelandBrown. He says a person of color should have the role instead.

Family Guy for over two decades, has stepped down from the role.Henry has appeared as Brown since the show’s very first episode broadcast in 1999, and starred in spin-off series The Cleveland Show which ran for four seasons between 2009 and 2013.In a tweet, Henry said: “It’s been an honor to play Cleveland on Family Guy for 20 years. I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color.

The Simpsons have announced that they will no longer be using white actors to voice people of colour on the show.“Moving forward, The Simpsons will no longer have white actors voice non-white characters,” the producers said in a short statement.This week has seen a number of white actors stepping down from animated roles in which they play those of a different race.Earlier this week white actor Jenny Slate announced that she would no longer be playing biracial character Missy in the Netflix

Mike Henry, who has voiced the character of Cleveland Brown for two decades on "Family Guy," said on Friday that he is stepping down from the role on the FOX animated series. "It’s been an honor to play Cleveland on Family Guy for 20 years," Henry, 54, wrote on Twitter.

and  are the latest shows that are making big changes. Amid recent backlash over the use of blackface, as well as white actors voicing ethnic characters, a spokesperson for tells ET on Friday that «Moving forward, will no longer have white actors voice non-white characters.”Mike Henry, known as the voice of Cleveland Brown on, also said that he would no longer be voicing the Black character.

Cornerstone animated shows “Family Guy” and “The Simpsons” are doing away with white voice actors voicing characters of colour.

Major changes are on the way for both Family Guy and The Simpsons.

Mike Henry will no longer be voicing beloved Family Guy character, Cleveland Brown. Henry has announced he's stepped down from the role in order to let an actor of color play his black character."It's been an honor to play Cleveland on Family Guy for 20 years," Henry tweeted.

LOS ANGELES -- “Family Guy” voice actor Mike Henry said Friday he is stepping down from the role of Cleveland Brown on the Fox animated series. Henry wrote on Twitter that he will stop playing the show’s main African American character because “persons of color should play characters of color.” The 54-year-old voice actor, who is a white man, has voiced the character since the series’ debut in 1999.