Kristen Bell Returns to Central Park as a New Character

After leaving Apple TV+'s animated series Central Park in 2020, Kristen Bell is back voicing a new character for season three. Get all of the details about what to expect here.

By Daniel Trainor Jul 18, 2022 9:11 PMTags
Watch: Kristen Bell Steps Down as Voice for Biracial Character

Kristen Bell is taking another stroll through Central Park

The actress will voice the new character of Abby on season three of the Apple TV+ animated series, according to Deadline.

Abby is the younger sister of Paige, voiced by her Bad Moms co-star Kathryn Hahn.

On the first season of Central Park, Bell voiced Molly, the mixed-race daughter of Paige and Owen (Leslie Odom Jr.). 

When she turned over the role in June 2020, Bell released a statement owning up to the miscasting

"This is a time to acknowledge our acts of complicity," her statement read. "Here is one of mine. Playing the character of Molly on Central Park shows a lack of awareness of my pervasive privilege. Casting a mixed race character with a white actress undermines the specificity of the mixed race and Black American experience. It was wrong and we, on the Central Park team, are pledging to make it right."

She, "I am happy to relinquish this 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."

The Umbrella Academy's Molly Emmy Raver-Lampman was eventually re-cast as Molly for season two.

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Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard: Romance Rewind
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Bell's decision to step down from her original role on Central Park came just hours after Jenny Slate made a similar decision about her voice role on Netflix's Big Mouth

Regarding her role as biracial character Missy on the animated series, Slate wrote on Instagram: "I have come to the decision today that I can no longer play the character of Missy on the animated TV show Big Mouth. At the start of the show, I reasoned with myself that it was permissible for me to play Missy because her mom is Jewish and white—as am I. But Missy is also Black, and Black characters on an animated show should be played by Black people." 

The streamer eventually re-cast actress and comedian Ayo Edebiri in the role.

The third season of Central Park premieres September 9 on Apple TV+.

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