Apple TV+ has found its new Molly for “Central Park,” casting “Umbrella Academy” star Emmy Raver-Lampman as the mixed- race character that previously been voiced by Kristen Bell.
Bell announced last month that she would step away from the role; she will remain with the show in a different role. Molly is the eldest child of the characters voiced by Leslie Odom Jr. and Kathryn Hahn. Her brother Cole is voiced by “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” star Tituss Burgess.
“Central Park” debuted the finale of its first season on Friday, and has already been picked up for a second season.
Created by “Bob’s Burgers” duo Loren Bouchard and Nora Smith and “Frozen” star Josh Gad, “Central Park” centers on Owen Tillerman (Leslie Odom Jr.), the park manager, and his wife Paige (Kathryn Hahn) as they raise their kids Molly (Raver-Lampman) and Cole (Titus Burgess) in the world’s most famous park, while fending off hotel heiress Bitsy Brandenham (Tucci) and her long suffering assistant Helen (Daveed Diggs), who would love nothing more than to turn the park into condos.
Bouchard previously addressed the decision to cast Bell as Molly at the Television Critics Association press tour earlier this year, saying that Bell — one of the first actors cast on the show — “couldn’t not” play Molly. “But then we couldn’t make Molly white and we couldn’t make Kristen mixed race so we just had to go forward,” he said at the time.
Raver-Lampman is best known for her starring role as Allison Hargreeves in “The Umbrella Academy,” which will release its second season on July 31st on Netflix.