Rugrats character will be gay and ‘a beacon for young queer people’ in CGI remake

Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: Paramount+

The Rugrats remake is to feature a gay character, it has been revealed.

Three decades after debuting on Nickelodeon, the cartoon is returning in CGI form to streamer Paramount+.

The show will see original cast members return to voice beloved characters including Tommy (EG Daily), Chucky (Nancy Cartwright) and Angelica (Cheryl Chase). Phil and Lil’s mother Betty, however will now be voiced by queer actor Natalie Morales – and be officially, canonically gay.

“A member of the alphabet mafia”

In a statement to AV Club about her new role, Morales said: “Anyone who watched the original show may have had an inkling Betty was a member of the alphabet mafia.”

Morales continued: “Betty is a single mom with her own business who has twins and still has time to hang out with her friends and her community, and I think it’s just so great because examples of living your life happily and healthily as an out queer person is just such a beacon for young queer people who may not have examples of that.”

“And yeah, Betty is a fictional cartoon, but even cartoons were hugely influential for me as a kid and if I’d been watching Rugrats and seen Betty casually talking about her ex-girlfriend, I think at least a part of me would have felt like things might be okay in the future.”

Betty was previously married to a man named Howard. According to the publication, she will now own a cafe called Betty’s Beans, wear a Gemini astrology sign jumper, and make direct reference to her sexuality by cracking jokes about her ex-girlfriends.

The show premiered on Paramount+ yesterday (Thursday 27 May 2021).

Morales is known for roles in Girls, Dead To Me and Parks and Recreation.

 

 

 

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