Mike Henry Steps Down For Black Actor To Voice Character Cleveland in Family Guy

As calls for diversity and inclusion continue to take roots in the film industry, it is beginning to impact on animated films and series in which characters are not voiced by actors from the same ethnic background as depicted by the character. The Family Guy is one animated series that is making such changes that the right actors should voice the characters that their ethnicity. 

Not many would have known that for more than two decades, the character Cleveland in the series has been voiced by a white actor by the name Mike Henry. Besides Cleveland, Henry also voices the role of two characters, Herbert and Consuela, but that will now change as Henry will be stepping down from the role of Cleveland to allow for the right actor to voice the role. 

Henry announced his resignation from the role in a tweet on Friday stating that his decision is basically for the reason of allowing a "person of color" to take up the role. However, he admitted it's a role he will miss without a doubt. 

"It's been an honor to play Cleveland on Family Guy for 20 years," Henry wrote. "I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color. There, I will be stepping down from the role."

This is the first time that a white actor voicing an ethnic minor character in animated film/series would step down. The same thing happened in The Simpson when Hank Azaria was stopped from voicing Apu for a South Asian actor take over from him.