LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Family Guy” voice actor Mike Henry said Friday he is stepping down from the role of Cleveland Brown on the Fox animated series.
The 54-year-old voice actor, who is a white man, has voiced the character since the series’ debut in 1999.
His decision comes after voice actors Jenny Slate and Kristen Bell — who are white — pulled out of their roles to recast their biracial characters with someone of color.
Slate played the mixed-raced Missy on Netflix’s “Big Mouth” and Bell was voiced as Molly on Apple TV Plus’s “Central Park.”
Slate said she initially reasoned that she could play her character, because Molly’s mother is Jewish and white, just like her mom.
