HAMILTON Star Emmy Raver-Lampman to Join CENTRAL PARK in the Role of 'Molly'

It has been announced that Hamilton star Emmy Raver-Lampman will join the cast of the animated series, Central Park in the role of 'Molly'.

Last month, the show's creator Josh Gad announced the show's intention to cast a 'black or mixed race actress' in the role to replace original star, Kristen Bell, who will continue with the show as a different character.

Of the recasting, Bell said on Instagram, "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. 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."

Last month, comedian Jenny Slate also agreed to step down from the black voice role of 'Missy' on the Netflix animated series, Big Mouth, from Oh, Hello! star Nick Kroll.

Emmy Raver-Lampman started her career touring (and later Broadway) with the revival production of Hair. She also performed on Broadway in Jekyll & Hyde and A Night with Janis Joplin. In 2014, she was on the national tour of Wicked as a standby for Elphaba. In 2015, she was a member of the original ensemble cast of Hamilton on Broadway, where she left to star in the SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS musical in Chicago. In 2017, she returned to Hamilton in the role of Angelica Schuyler in the first national tour. She landed her first major television role in the Umbrella Academy on Netflix portraying Allison Hargreeves, released in February 2019.

Apple TV+ recently debuted Central Park, a brand new musical animated series from Josh Gad, Loren Bouchard, and Nora Smith.

The series follows the Tillermans, a family that lives in Central Park. Owen, the park manager, and Paige, his journalist wife, raise their kids Molly and Cole in the world's most famous park, while fending off hotel heiress Bitsy Brandenham and her long suffering assistant Helen, who would love nothing more than to turn the park into condos.

The voice cast of Central Park also includes Josh Gad, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess, Daveed Diggs and Stanley Tucci.