By Zach Johnson
It’s time to get reacquainted with the Proud family.
On Wednesday, February 23, the Disney+ Original series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder will continue the stories of Penny Proud, her madcap family, and her loyal crew, first seen in the groundbreaking Disney Channel series The Proud Family (2001-2005). It’s been nearly two decades since the fan-favorite characters were last seen onscreen—and although much has changed, in some ways, they’re still the same.
“The best thing about The Proud Family is that we have conversations about things other people usually shy away from,” says Kyla Pratt, who voices Penny Proud. “I’m so excited to be a part of this project. I’m a fan, too! I’m literally like, ‘When do I get to see the next episode? It’s great to be part of something that touches so many people in so many different ways.”
Before the two-episode premiere, the cast shares updates on their characters:
Penny Proud (voiced by Kyla Pratt)
The 2020s brings new challenges for Penny, including trying to find the peace with Maya Leibowitz-Jenkins (voiced by Keke Palmer), a socially woke neighbor who thinks she has a lot to teach her. Much to her father’s chagrin, 14-year-old Penny also has a new boyfriend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Brown (voiced by Asante Blackk). Plus, she’s taking a stand against bullying social media influencers. “When you bring a show like this back, you have to upgrade it to reflect what’s going on right now,” Pratt says. “You want the kids watching to relate to it. I can’t imagine growing up with social media, so for kids to have something like The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder address all of that—and everything else going on in the world—it’ll help them during that process.”
Oscar Proud (voiced by Tommy Davidson)
Admittedly, Oscar is struggling with seeing Penny, his eldest child, mature. “He’s just like every father whose little girl starts transitioning into womanhood,” Davidson tells D23. “All fathers are uncomfortable with that growth, you know what I mean? It’s just a new thing altogether. I’ve gone through it a couple of times… Parenting is no joke!”
Trudy Proud (voiced by Paula Jai Parker)
Veterinarian Trudy is expanding her business with a pet ambulance. “She’s taking it on the road,” says Parker, “and I think that is a testament to the growth of the show.” Between that and raising three kids with Oscar, Trudy has her (very capable) hands full.
Suga Mama (voiced by JoMarie Payton)
Suga Mama remains ready as ever to dispense tough love or a gentle hand whenever Penny needs it. “I like the honesty in Suga Mama’s voice,” Payton says. “I like the freedom she has to be honest and to be down to earth. She says it how she means it.”
Dijonay Jones (voiced by Karen Malina White)
Impulsive and loyal, Dijonay always keeps things interesting. White, for one, can’t wait to see what fans think of Dijonay’s evolution. “Fans from the original series will be excited,” she says. “And now we’re getting a whole new audience, a whole new generation of fans.”
LaCienega Boulevardez (voiced by Alisa Reyes)
LaCienega and Penny are still frenemies. Despite their differences—or perhaps because of them—they learn a lot from each other. “No matter how sassy or spunky LaCienega is, at the end of the day, she always learns from her trials and tribulations,” Reyes explains. “There’s always a moral lesson, and that’s what I love about this show.”
Zoey Howzer (voiced by Soleil Moon Frye)
The adorably awkward Zoey is starting to find her groove, and it’s just one of the many things Frye loves about voicing the character. “I feel like when people watch the show, you can really identify with a certain character,” she says. “You can find a piece of yourself reflected. It’s so wonderful that families can watch it together and say, ‘I identify with this character.’ ‘I identify with this one.’ It’s such a testament to the show.”
Michael Collins (voiced by EJ Johnson)
Even now, Penny’s fashion-loving friend is still a trendsetter—just look at their pink hair, for instance! Johnson describes their nonconforming character to D23 as “fabulous, unapologetic, fearless, carefree, and loving,” adding, “I just love that they’re themselves. Michael has the wit, the sass, the great one-liners, and the outfit changes!”
Want to know what’s new with Uncle Bobby (voiced by Cedric “The Entertainer”), Felix Boulevardez (voiced by Carlos Mencia), Sunset Boulevardez (voiced by Maria Canals-Barrera), Papi (voiced by Alvaro Gutierrez), Myron Lewinski (voiced by Marcus T. Paulk), and Nubia Gross (voiced by Raquel Lee Bolleau)? Stream The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder when the first two episodes debut on Disney+ Wednesday, February 23.
