Friends’ Stephen Park claims toxic environment, racist comments on set

Friends star Stephen Park He called the Show to create an allegedly toxic environment where he and others endured the racist name and more.

During Monday, March 3, Episode “Under meets the world,” Danielle Fishel asked the park for an open letter issued in 1999 “Disappointing” time on the set “Very massive” sitcom.

“You wrote an incredibly bold statement of a mission to Hollywood about the state, strength and racism in Hollywood about the difficulties you face to find a job as an Asian actor – and especially the work you felt that you could be proud,” Fishel said. “Can you tell us what effects of this letter were at the time?”

The park immediately named Friends as a showHe added, “It was at the time, I felt it was a kind of toxic environment. James Hong He was an actor who was also on the episode with me and (director assistant) called him to the ensemble and you know, basically he said, “Where is F – the oriental man? Get an oriental guy. “”

He continued: “It’s not the first time it happened, you know, but this is an environment in which business is as usual in Hollywood in 1997, I think it was. And no one felt the need to fix it or to say something about it. So this is normal behavior. ”

Park, who appeared in two episodes Friends In 1997 he tried to contact Guild Screen Actors Guild, who led to writing a “statement of a mission” he sent for publication. The park made several interviews, but at that time none of them was published.

“I became so racial and so angry that I looked at everything through the race lens,” he said. “I felt as if not freedom.” I didn’t feel any freedom. So I had no idea what to do, but I decided to get out. I told everyone, “I’m not acting anymore.” ”

The incident led the park to take a step back from playing. Finally, he made “slow climb back to business”. Since its return the park has appeared in The boy meets the world, law and order, Venture Bros. and Mad at you.

Park is not the only guest star talk about the lack of diversity of the show. Adam Goldberg previously solved criticism about Friends“For the most part, the white cast.

“As far as diversity is concerned, a look back back, it seems crazy,” he said Independent “I heard black people talk about it, and it’s like, you never expected to see each other, so if you didn’t, it wasn’t surprised, and eventually you identified the characters, regardless of their race.”

Goldberg said there was a lack of diversity on television at that time, adding, “I spent a lot of my career complaining about how the Italians could play Jews. You see (Robert) de niro plays Jews, but very rarely you see someone who is a well -known Jewish actor playing Italian. So there was my head. ”

He added, “Or I would get feedback that I would not be American enough, which, as you know if you should tell someone that you would probably be released. Or maybe not, because all-American has become such a mocking term. But yes, the whole culture was such and television was just amplification of this culture. ”

David Schwimmer, Meanwhile revealed Watchman In January 2020 that “before he led a campaign for Ross to this day of women (Color)” Aisha TylerA character was introduced, but he faced the will for pitching “all black friends or all Asian friends”.

Actress Erika Alexander Called Schwimmer’s comments and wrote via x at that time: “Hey @davidschwimmer @friendstate – ru really tells me you have never heard of #Livingsingle? We invented a template! Welcome, bro. ”

In response to that schwimmer gave a lengthy apologyHe says, “If my quote has been excluded from context, it is hardly in my control. I assure you that I don’t mean any disrespect. ”