The Rugrats reboot will be this classic character's coming out moment!

Los Angeles, California – Rugrats actor Natalie Morales confirmed that she's playing the role of an openly gay character on the show's newly-released CGI reboot.

The Rugrats CGI reboot features Nickelodeon's first openly gay cartoon character.
The Rugrats CGI reboot features Nickelodeon's first openly gay cartoon character.  © IMAGO / Mary Evans

This marks one of the first times that a children's show has featured an openly gay character in an influential role.

In the reboot, Morales will play Phil and Lil's mother, Betty DeVille.

The queer actor told the AV Club that she was excited to bring the role to life, saying, "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."

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In the original Rugrats series that ran from 1991 to 2005, Betty was married to Howard, who isn't set to appear in the first season of the show's new version.

In the reboot, Morales said Betty will be shown as a single mom who owns her own business, is raising twins, and still makes time for her friends and community.

Rather than sporting her typical sweater with the female symbol on it, Betty will now rock a top with the Gemini symbol on it.

Though Betty is an animated character, Morales further stressed the importance of having queer representation in a children's show.

"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," Morales said.

Even though Betty was portrayed as a heterosexual woman that was married to a straight-presenting man, many fans have had an inkling that Betty was secretly queer all along.

The Rugrats reboot is now available to stream on Paramount+.

Cover photo: IMAGO / Mary Evans

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