Kristen Bell admits 'I have a lot to learn' reflecting on 'Central Park' casting controversy
It's been five months since Kristen Bell gave up her gig voicing Molly, a biracial character on Apple TV+'s "Central Park," and now she is opening up more about that decision.
In an interview with Romper, the 40-year-old explained, "I grew up in Detroit. I didn’t consider myself an ounce of a racist. And when I read 'How to Be an Antiracist,' 'White Fragility' -- required reading of a citizen of Earth in 2020 -- I realized, ‘Well, I’ve been a part of these systems.’ I was unaware of this whole pot of s--- that’s been stirring."
"I have a lot to learn," she added. "And I have a lot of action steps to take, to fulfill what I think my beliefs are."
Back in June, amid the nation's civil unrest and protests for racial justice, the "Good Place" actress removed herself from the part and "The Umbrella Academy" actress Emmy Raver-Lampman, a biracial woman, replaced her.
While Bell acknowledged the argument that part of being a good actress is being able to embody characters different from oneself, she doubled down that stepping away from the role on the animated series was "absolutely the right decision and it went to absolutely the right girl."
"The people who say I could play that role aren’t wrong," she further explained. "But I wanted to step down for two reasons. One, if there was one girl who could have a job who wouldn’t otherwise have a job, because there are not a lot of Black or mixed-race characters on cartoons -- if one girl could have that job, I would want her to have it. Two, if any little girl who is mixed-race or Black looks up who plays that role, I want them to see someone who looks like them."
