Bell, Slate bow out from voice roles
Jenny Slate and Kristen Bell will no longer voice biracial characters in the animated shows “Big Mouth” and “Central
Park,” respectively.
In a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday, Slate explained that she had stepped down from the role of Missy on Netflix’s “Big Mouth” because her original reasoning for signing on to voice the character was “flawed” and “an example of white privilege.”
“At the start of the show, I reasoned with myself that it was permissible to play ‘Missy’ because her mom is Jewish and White — as am I,” Slate wrote. “But ‘Missy’ is also Black, and Black characters on an animated show should be played by Black people.”
Bell also announced Wednesday that she would be stepping away from the role of Molly in “Central Park” on Apple TV+.
“Playing the character of Molly on ‘Central Park’ shows a lack of awareness of my pervasive privilege,” Bell wrote in an Instagram post. “Casting a mixed race character with a white actress undermines the specificity of the mixed race and Black American experience.”
Dixie Chicks drop ‘dixie’ from name, now The Chicks:
Grammy-winning country group The Dixie Chicks have dropped the word “dixie” from their name, now going by The Chicks.
The band’s social media accounts and website were changed Thursday to refer to the new name for the band, which is made up of Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines and Emily Strayer.
The band also recognized that the name was already in use by a band in New Zealand. A statement on The Chicks’ website said, “We want to meet this moment.”
Elizabeth Banks to drive ‘Bus’:
“The Magic School Bus” is going somewhere new: the big screen. Scholastic Entertainment said Thursday that it will make “a feature-length, live-action hybrid film” based on the ’90s animated TV show. Elizabeth Banks will play the manic science teacher Ms. Frizzle.
“The Magic School Bus” is adapted from a series of books written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen.
Bialik partners with DC for science books:
Actress Mayim Bialik is teaming with DC Entertainment on a project that joins superhero power to the power of science. DC Entertainment announced Thursday that Bialik will collaborate with comic writers and illustrators on a story collection that features Batman, Superman, the Flash and others in search of mysteries such as why polar ice melts and what can be found at the bottom of the sea.
‘Gone with the Wind’ returns:
“Gone With the Wind” has returned to HBO Max after it was pulled from the streaming service earlier this month. The film now opens with a roughly 4 1⁄2-minute introduction by African American Turner Classic Movies’ host Jacqueline Stewart, who discusses its history and its racism. Viewers also can access additional videos, including one of a panel discussion on the film’s complicated legacy.
June 26 birthdays:
Singer Billy Davis Junior is 82. Actor Robert Davi is 69. Musician Mick Jones is 65. Singer Chris Isaak is 64. Bassist Colin Greenwood is
51. Actor Sean Hayes is 50. Actor Chris O’Donnell is
50. Actor Nick Offerman is
50. Actor Jason Schwartzman is 40. Actress Aubrey Plaza is 36. Singer Ariana Grande is 27.