September 09, 2024
Being part of Friends is something Adam Goldberg is very proud of, but the issue, he had with the hit sitcom was its lack of diversity.
In a chat with The Independent, the Fargo star was asked about his views on NBC's comedy being short on showing people of colour.
“In terms of diversity, looking back, it seems insane,” the actor said, who appeared as Chandler's rebound roommate named Eddie in the second season's third episode.
“I’ve heard Black people speak about this and it’s like, you never expected to see yourself, so when you didn’t, it was not a surprise, and you ended up identifying to characters, irrespective of their race. It was just the norm that there was such a lack of diversity.”
It was not the first time the lack of diversity in Friends came under the scanner.
One of the writers in the series, Marta Kauffman, previously said the outright focus of the show on straight, white actors was an “embarrassment” for her.
David Schwimmer, meanwhile, argued for Ross to have a relationship with a woman of color, and Lisa Kudrow believed the show would have cast "more diverse" stars if it had been made in recent times.