LGBT+ icons Billy Porter and Zachary Quinto will join the upcoming Proud Family reboot as the gay parents of a teenage activist. (Photo by Santiago Felipe/Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Billy Porter and Zachary Quinto will join the upcoming Proud Family reboot as the gay parents of a teenage activist.
Entertainment Weekly reported that Emmy-winning Pose actor Billy Porter and Zachary Quinto, respectively, will join the cast of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder as the first-ever gay couple to appear on the show, Barry Leibowitz-Jenkins and Randall Leibowitz-Jenkins.
The stars will play adoptive parents to Maya, a 14-year-old activist, voiced by Scream Queens’ Keke Palmer.
Details about the revival have been trickling out since it was announced in February 2020.
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder will pick up the story of its central character Penny Proud (Kyla Pratt) and her hilarious family, including parents Oscar and Trudy, twin siblings and her grandmother. The original show ran on Disney Channel from 2001 to 2005 for two seasons.
Palmer told BuzzFeed that the new show will feature the same family “that we know and love, but with new-age themes” that “help kids grow and evolve positively and think about things”. She added views will get the same “growing pain” and “coming-of-age” storylines for the original characters but “within the guide of a modern world in 2021”.
The reboot will see the return of Carlos Mencia, Cedric the Entertainer, Paula Jai Parker, Tommy Davidson, JoMarie Payton, Soleil Moon Frye and Karen Malina White.
Another new addition to the cast is Rich Kids of Beverly Hills‘ EJ Johnson who will play Michael Collins, Penny’s flamboyant friend who loves fashion. In the original series, Collins’ father is a coach and gym teacher who is embarrassed by his son, who is fashion designer, basketball player and choreographer.
The character, who was previously voiced by Phil LaMarr, is often bullied because of his varied interest, but he constantly stands-up for himself and his friends.
New crew coming through to #TheProudFamily: #LouderAndProuder! Meet Maya’s parents, Barry & Randall Leibowitz-Jenkins, voiced by @ZacharyQuinto & @TheeBillyPorter. Plus, Penny’s best guy friend Michael Collins, voiced by EJ Johnson. Original Series coming soon to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/6EUKuwR9Rt
— Disney+ (@disneyplus) May 12, 2021
The revival will be executive produced by Bruce W Smith and Ralph Farquhar, who both led the original series.
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder is currently in production at Disney Television Animation and is set for a 2022 premiere on streaming service, Disney Plus. The previous seasons of The Proud Family and its 2005 movie are currently available to watch on the streaming service.
