‘Big Mouth’ Co-Creator Andrew Goldberg Talks Recasting “Missy” with Black Actress Ayo Edebiri After Jenny Slate Stepped Down: ‘If We Had Known Then What We Know Now, That’s Not How We Would Have Cast The Part’

“Big Mouth” co-creator Andrew Goldberg opens up about recasting the role of “Missy” with a Black voice-over actress, producer, and writer Ayo Edebiri. 

Netflix’s beloved raunchy yet relatable adult animation has finally made some changes that were well-overdue. Edebiri made her debut as “Missy” in the ninth episode of the show’s new fourth season after former voice actor Jenny Slate stepped down from the role back in June, saying she’d always felt conflicted about playing the biracial character. 

The series was created by Nick Kroll, Goldberg, Mark Levin, and Jennifer Lockett, with Kroll playing his animated self, “Nick.” Goldberg’s animated self is played by actor John Mulaney. The show portrays the struggles of going through puberty and confronting social issues like homophobia, code-switching, and more. 

During an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Goldberg opened up about Slate’s decision to step down as “Missy” and the importance of having Black characters voiced by Black talent. 

“Jenny playing Missy is something we had been talking about for a couple years,” Goldberg said. “It was something that Jenny initially brought up, and we had this dilemma, which was that on the one hand, if we had known then what we know now, that’s not how we would have cast the part. But at the same time, we had this character who Jenny was playing so beautifully, and in a way that was making a lot of people feel seen in a way that they hadn’t before because Missy is such a unique biracial character.”

He continued: “And then in the spring, when Black Lives Matter rose to greater prominence, Jenny came to the realization that it was past time for her to step down. We supported her, and we had this big conversation with our Black writers and a few Black performers. [They] all agreed that they loved what Jenny had done and appreciated the character that she had created, but that the right thing to do was to make space for a Black actor to play the part.

He says the change made him realize that puberty for Black people isn’t just about growing a beard, going on dates, or getting your period, but that it also includes Black people having to become aware of how the world reacts to their Blackness. “Something that I didn’t expect, but as soon as I heard it, it made total sense, was that once the part was being played by Ayo, they felt like they had even more freedom to tell stories about Missy’s race and her racial identity.”

“[Writer] Brandon Kyle Goodman, in particular, talked about how part of puberty for him was recognizing his Blackness and what that means and how people perceived it. You start with a little bit of innocence, but as you reach this age, it becomes a bigger part of your life. So for him, growing into his racial identity was very much a part of his puberty. That was something that I didn’t experience as my puberty, and that’s the whole reason why it makes sense to have a diverse writers room with people who had all these different experiences growing up.”