‘Central Park’ Adds ‘Umbrella Academy’s Emmy Raver-Lampman as Kristen Bell’s Replacement
Apple TV+ has found Kristen Bell‘s voice replacement for their animated musical comedy Central Park as The Umbrella Academy‘s Emmy Raver-Lampman takes over the role of Molly Tillerman.
The news comes shortly after Bell stepped down to give the role to a biracial or Black actress to better reflect Molly’s own identity. The Good Place actress wasn’t the only one to leave a voice role due to race as Jenny Slate left Netflix’s Big Mouth, where she voiced Missy.
In a statement released to The Hollywood Reporter by Central Park‘s creative team, Loren Bouchard, Josh Gad, Nora Smith, Halsted Sullivan and Sanjay Shah, they said, “After an extensive casting process that brought a number of incredible contenders to the forefront of our Molly search, we could not be more thrilled, honored, and certain that we have found the perfect marriage of character to voice in the amazing Emmy Raver-Lampman,”
“From the moment we heard her Molly, we knew she was the right choice. Her comedic chops, endearing spirit and other-worldly singing prowess have us jumping with joy at the possibilities of this already wonderful character moving forward.”
(Credit: Apple TV+)
They continued their statement, going on to thank Bell for “the fantastic work she did in Season 1.”And as we look for new ways to utilize Kristen’s brilliant vocal talents moving forward, we are forever grateful for her support, her camaraderie, and most importantly her beautiful performance as Molly Tillerman in Season 1. ”
Raver-Lampman is best known for her role in Netflix’s fan favorite The Umbrella Academy in which she plays Allison Hargreeves, one of the seven children adopted by Sir Reginald Hargreeves born on the same day in 1989 to a mother without any previous signs of pregnancy. The series, based on comic books by Gerard Way, has Season 2 arriving July 31 on the streaming platform.
Central Park, Streaming now, Apple TV+
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