Ayo Edebiri Is Now the Voice of Missy in Big Mouth

It looks like we have a big update—as big as the mouth for Netflix’s Big Mouth!

According to Variety, writer, producer, comedian and actor Ayo Edebiri (Sunnyside) has been cast as Missy. You may remember the original voice actress, Jenny Slate stepped down from portraying the popular and quirky character noting that Missy “is also Black and Black characters on an animated show should be played by Black people.” Back in July, Central Park quickly cast Emmy Raver-Lampman as Molly, who Kristen Bell previously portrayed.

“I was definitely a very uncomfortable child, so I think the show speaks to that and a lot of those feelings, which still resonate with me as an adult,” Edebiri told Variety in a statement. “I’m back home in my childhood bedroom right now and on my bookshelf in between A Series of Unfortunate Events is Bill Clinton’s autobiography and Nelson Mandela’s autobiography and a translation of The Iliad in Latin. I was a true dork. So I don’t think I have to go too far to connect with Missy.”

More scoop from Variety:

While Slate will continue to voice Missy for the majority of the fourth season (the premiere date of which has yet to be announced), Edebiri will take over the role in the penultimate episode. She booked the role just a few weeks ago and has already recorded her Season 4 dialogue. She also joined the writers’ room of the show for the fifth season—a job she actually booked and began working first, given the schedule of breaking stories and penning scripts.

“It’s about Missy’s continued evolution as a person—that she has all of these different parts of who she is,” creator Nick Kroll said, of the decision to insert Edebiri’s voice sooner than originally planned. “There’s the sidelines Missy and the more sexually adventurous Missy, mirror Missy, and then also this Missy that she’s been discovering [in Season 4] through hanging out with her cousins and really taking a look at her Black identity.” Kroll also noted that the team did have their eyes to the streets and considered a few folks people were suggesting on Twitter and Instagram. Though Edebiri was in the writers’ room, she still had to audition.

In case you want to get a feel for just how perfect this casting is, here’s a clip from Edebiri’s stand-up routine on Comedy Central:

Congrats, Ayo Edebiri! We look forward to seeing how you breathe new life to the adorably awkward Missy!