Casting a mixed-race character with a white actress undermines the specificity of the mixed-race and Black American experience,” Bell wrote. “I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color. Michael Robert Henry (born November 7, 1965) is an American Family Guy voice actor Mike Henry, who is white, announced that he will no longer voice Cleveland Brown, an African-American character, on Family Guy or The Cleveland Show. Casting a mixed race character with a white actress undermines the specificity of the mixed race and Black American experience. The voice of Cleveland Brown is a unique one, and he’s a character who appears much more frequently than any of the supporting characters of color on The Simpsons.Finding a replacement actor … Updated 2:28 PM ET, Fri September 25, 2020. Arif Zahir will be voicing the character of Cleveland. Arif Zahir has attracted millions of views on YouTube for his impersonation of Family Guy's Cleveland Brown. Arif Zahir has been cast as the new voice of Cleveland Brown on Fox's Family Guy following Mike Henry stepping down from the role. “Ending my portrayal of ‘Missy’ is one step in a lifelong process of uncovering the racism in my actions.”, Slate said that as she looks back “on the nature and emergence of my own voice in comedy, I know that I have made mistakes along the way.”. ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection I will continue to engage in meaningful anti-racist action, to be thoughtful about the messages in my work, to be curious and open to feedback and to do my best to take responsibility for the ways that I am a part of the problem,” she wrote. “It was wrong, and we, on the Central Park team, are pledging to make it right. chess prodigy relates to popularity of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’, ‘Just for Laughs’ founder Gilbert Rozon found not guilty on charges of rape, indecent assault, Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard arrested on sex trafficking charges, Iran sentences ‘Zombie Angelina Jolie’ to 10 years in jail for photos, Boy, 2, abandoned with note at Goodwill drop-off in Mississippi, Coronavirus vaccines: What you should know about the side effects, Woman behind ‘Zombie Angelina Jolie’ sentenced to 10 years in Iranian prison, U.S. election: Joe Biden says Texas-led Supreme Court case ‘stunning’, Helicopter footage shows huge landslide near Bute Inlet on B.C. Voice actor Mike Henry announced he would leave the role of Cleveland Brown on 'Family Guy' to allow a black actor to play the character. Slate played the mixed-raced Missy on Netflix’s Big Mouth and Bell voiced Molly on Apple TV Plus’s Central Park. coast, Coronavirus: Anand says she has ‘full confidence’ in Health Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine approval process, Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard arrested, Indigo under fire for turning away people without masks who are exempt, Jenny Slate leaves ‘Big Mouth,’ says Black characters ‘should be played by Black people’, A post shared by Jenny Slate (@jennyslate), BET Awards 2020 — 5 must-see moments from the show. BET Awards 2020 — 5 must-see moments from the show, Bell said this is “a time to acknowledge our acts of complicity.”. Henry, 54, ... Family Guy's Mike Henry Says He'll No Longer Voice Cleveland Brown Character. Jenny Slate leaves ‘Big Mouth,’ says Black characters ‘should be played by Black people’. “It’s been an honour to play Cleveland on Family Guy for 20 years. Fox has found the new voice of “Family Guy’s” Cleveland Brown. Family Guy voice actor Mike Henry said Friday that he is stepping down from the role of Cleveland Brown on the Fox animated series. I agree with this, but if a voice actor's voice fits a certain character it shouldn't matter what the voice actor's ethnicity is. Family Guy voice actor Mike Henry is stepping down from his role as Cleveland Brown. Here is one of mine. Family Guy Casts Black Actor Arif Zahir to Voice Cleveland Brown, Mike Henry to Remain Series Regular. The 54-year-old voice actor, who is a white man, has voiced the character since the series’ debut in 1999. I love this character, but persons of colour should play characters of colour. Exclusive Details: Charley Pride Dead at 86 from COVID-19, Country Music's First Black Superstar Close alert × “I acknowledge how my original reasoning was flawed, that it existed as an example of white privilege and unjust allowances made within a system of societal white supremacy, and that in me playing ‘Missy,’ I was engaging in an act of erasure of Black people. This is a time to acknowledge our acts of complicity. “Most importantly, though, to anyone that I’ve hurt: I am so very sorry. This all has to do with political correctness. Voice Actor Mike Henry has quit his role of Cleveland Brown (Image: WireImage) Read More Related Articles. Images of the Cleveland Brown voice actors from the Family Guy franchise. Want to discuss? Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Mike Henry will no longer voice Family Guy character Cleveland Brown, becoming the latest white actor to step away from playing a character of color on an animated series. Slate announced the news last Wednesday, saying: “I have come to the decision today that I can no longer play the character of ‘Missy’ on the animated TV show Big Mouth.”. (CNN) Arif Zahir, known for his impressions of … “Here is one of mine. Family Guy fans can expect a big change in the show's upcoming 19th season. Three months after Family Guy star Mike Henry announced that he was stepping down as the voice of Cleveland Brown, a replacement has been … 110 images (& sounds) of the The Cleveland Show cast of characters. I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color. Therefore, I will be stepping down from the role. Therefore, I will be stepping down from the role,” Henry wrote. I am happy to relinquish the 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.”. Playing the character of Molly on Central Park shows a lack of awareness of my pervasive privilege. Family Guy voice actor Mike Henry said Friday that he is stepping down from the role of Cleveland Brown on the Fox animated series. Family Guy has hired Cleveland Brown impersonator Arif Zahir to do the job for real and replace Mike Henry in the role of the Griffins' neighbor. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. Black voices must be heard. Yahoo is part of Verizon Media. 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