Alison Brie posted on Instagram Friday expressing regret over voicing the character of Diane Nguyen, a Vietnamese American writer on Netflix’s BoJack Horseman. In the statement, Brie says “We missed a great opportunity to represent the Vietnamese-American community accurately and respectfully.”
Brie’s decision follows a number of white actors announcing this week that they are stepping down from voicing their animated POC characters, including Family Guy‘s Mike Henry, Central Park‘s Kristen Bell and Big Mouth‘s Jenny Slate.
Additionally, The Simpsons yesterday said that the show will no longer have white actors voice non-white characters. Hank Azaria has been the voice of the Black character Carlton Carlson. He also was known for voicing Apu, a character which has long been criticized for its stereotypical depiction of an Indian immigrant. Azaria announced in January that he would no longer play the character. Harry Shearer has voiced the Black character Dr. Julius M. Hibbert.,
Netflix’s BoJack Horseman ran for six seasons, ending on January 2020. The series is considered the hallmark of Netflix’s original animated lineup, garnering critical acclaim and two Primetime Emmy nominations. Though the show was widely popular, the racial miscasting of Diane Nguyen did not sit well with some.
The character of Diane Nguyen appeared in all six seasons of BoJack Horseman. Nguyen was BoJack’s ghostwriter and served as a logical foil to others on the show.