Friends actress Aisha Tyler has revealed her experiences as one of the only black cast members as the iconic sitcom celebrates its 30th anniversary.
Tyler, 53, who was the only black actress to have a recurring role on the show, first appeared in season nine in 2003.
She played Charlie Wheeler, the paleontology professor girlfriend of David Schwimmer’s quirky character Ross Geller. Before breaking up with Ross, she went on a few dates with Joey Tribbiani, played by Matt LeBlanc.
But when the cameras weren’t rolling, Tyler was confronted with the reality of the shocking lack of diversity on the show and in the television industry.
The former Talk Soup host said she often heard people shout “black girl from Friends” when they saw her, according to The Independent.
Tyler said Schwimmer, who co-directed the show, made efforts to diversify the cast.
Tyler said people would yell ‘black girl from Friends’ at her while she was performing on the show.
Tyler said the fact that the cast was predominantly white was acknowledged at the time.
She told The Independent: “It wasn’t something that people looked back on later and said, ‘Wait a minute’. No, at the time, people were quite vocal about the fact that, for a show that was set in the heart of Manhattan, it really lacked diversity.
“But back then we didn’t have social media, so it wasn’t as large a conversation as it later became.”
Adam Goldberg, 53, has opened up about his brief stint on Friends. He played Joey’s roommate Eddie for three episodes in the second season.
Tyler said the lack of diversity on the show was shocking, especially since it was set in Manhattan.
In Friends, Charlie dated Joey, played by Matt LeBlanc, and Ross, played by David Schwimmer.
Adam Goldberg, who briefly appeared on the show as Eddie, agreed that the lack of diversity was a problem on Friends.
Aisha Tyler played Charlie Wheeler on Friends. She was the only black character to reappear on the show.
Discussing the criticism Friends often receives, she mirrored Tyler’s statements.
Goldberg said The IndependentIn terms of diversity, in retrospect, it seems crazy. I’ve heard black people talk about this and it’s like you never expected to see yourself, so when you didn’t, it wasn’t a surprise.
“It was normal that there was such a lack of diversity.”
Tyler liked that Charlie was smart and “sexy,” but felt she wasn’t fully represented through the character.
This tied into the industry’s broader idea that “only white stories were being sold,” she said.
She explained to The Independent: ‘That’s been the attitude in Hollywood for a long time.
“It was said that people wouldn’t watch a show with these characters, and now we all know that’s not true. But that perspective still persists and there are still people who say, well, that movie won’t sell overseas if it has a black lead, and that movie won’t sell in these markets if it has a gay lead.”
Tyler hugged Matthew Perry during a charity event he hosted. Tyler fondly recalled working with him.
Tyler said he knew Schwimmer, who also co-directed the show, was pushing for greater diversity.
He also fondly reflected on the friendships he made on set, including one with the late Matthew Perry, who played the charming Chandler Bing.
Friends has been criticized for being non-inclusive, racist and homophobic.
Jennifer Aniston, 55, who played Rachel Green, said Entertainment WeeklyThere’s a whole generation of people, kids, who are now rewatching episodes of Friends and finding them offensive.
“We should have thought it through, but I don’t think there was the sensitivity there is now.”
Beyond Friends, Tyler said she was turned down for a role because a black character was already cast.
Jennifer Aniston spoke out about the criticism and said that the younger generation finds Friends offensive
Tyler described the lack of diversity as the “norm” for the television industry at the time Friends was filmed.
She told The Independent: ‘I’m like, ‘Have you never seen two black people in the same room in the real world? Are we just one? Are we like Superman and Clark Kent?’
When I leave the room, Kerry Washington comes in? And then you find out that we’ve been exchanging masks? It’s ridiculous!
While Tyler believes progress has been made in the television industry, she encourages more women, people of color and other marginalized groups to “get behind the camera and tell their stories.”