'The Proud Family' cast talks 'authentic' legacy of Disney+ revival: See exclusive clip
“The Proud Family” is opening the door for a new age of the animated series – and like most new generations, the revival aims to push the boundaries of family TV.
The original 2001-05 Disney Channel series created memories and captured hearts with its Solange and Destiny’s Child-led theme song and its multi-layered cast of characters, including puberty-stricken Penny Proud, her strict "no boys allowed" father Oscar and the no-nonsense yet tender grandmother, Suga Mama.
Many of those attributes, along with the show's knack for creating belly laughs, remain intact in the new Disney+ series "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder."
"The Proud Family" lived in a novel space as an animated series that centered on a Black family with an accurate representation of communities of color. While other cartoons like "The Boondocks," written for adults, and "Little Bill," which catered to a preschool audience, portrayed Black families, "Proud Family" had a unique way of tackling race and equality issues for a wide age range – with comedic flair.
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"Louder and Prouder" aims to continue the show's legacy.
“This is exactly what everybody needed. It's time,” says comedian Tommy Davidson, who voices Oscar. “We even got us a new theme song.”
While Beyoncé doesn't open the "Louder and Prouder" series, the show brings new voice talent from Keke Palmer and celebrity fashionista EJ Johnson as the show explores topics including the LGBTQ community and gender nonconformity.
Johnson’s Michael Collins character, seen below in an exclusive clip, is part of the show's attempt to reinvent for the current time. Johnson said he was told the show wanted to “push the boundaries” with Michael, but even he second-guessed the parameters.
“I was like, ‘Are they really going to let you do this? Like, this is a lot,’” Johnson recalls.
Once he got assurance from the show's creators, he added an “old Hollywood divalike flair” to Michael.
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The revival adds new neighbors – the Leibowitz-Jenkins family – an interracial, gay married couple (voiced by Zachary Quinto and Billy Porter) who have adopted two children.
“Just like we needed representation as a Black family on TV, I think is extremely important for people to feel seen, and to feel safe," says Kyla Pratt, who reprises her role as Penny. "When you watch something, even if it is a cartoon, it shows a wonderful depiction of something that you're connected to."
Pratt, 35, first voiced Penny when she was a teenager and is always reminded how important the show was to viewers.
"Someone every other day since I recorded it at 14 has asked me, 'Why did they cancel it? Why is it not on the air?’" she says. "So I know that there are millions of people who are going to be so excited to see it."
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"You got something really unique, you got something very authentic, got something very authentically African American but yet authentically American," Davidson says.
The original "Proud Family" series is also available to stream on Disney+.