'Friends' Producers Say They Did Not Mean to Have an 'All White' Cast
- Friends producers have shared that they did not mean to have an all-white cast on the TV show
- Marta Kauffman reportedly admitted to having regret over the lack of diversity in the cast of the TV programme
- Marta was speaking during an interview about the highly-anticipated debut of the show's reunion special on HBO Max
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed!
The creators of TV show Friends have expressed that they didn't intend to have an all-white cast. The producers of the sitcom spoke about the show's lack of diversity issues during a recent interview about the premiere of the programme's much-anticipated HBO Max reunion special.
Co-creator of the show Marta Kauffman said there was no "conscious decision" back then when they created the show. Marta expressed that there are many things she could say if she "only knew then what I know now".
Source: Instagram
According to Bazaar, Kauffman admitted to harbouring some regret over the lack of diversity in the cast and for her role in perpetuating lack of representation in the entertainment industry.
"There are probably a hundred things I would have done differently," she told The Hollywood Reporter.
Executive producer and director, Kevin Bright, also recalled considering a diverse pool of actors for the roles of Chandler and Phoebe in particular, but then defended the casting decisions that they made.
Social media users shared mixed thoughts on the lack of diversity of the show. Check out some of their comments below:
@SparrowOnTheEye said:
"There were articles back in the day about how white TV had gotten in the 90s. It didn't go unnoticed back then."
@_kayla_bayla__ commented:
"Back then, I didn't even realise how white it was. TV was SUPER white back then. Fraser, King of Queens, Seinfeld... most sitcoms were all white people. Watching it now, it's really weird. I'm glad TV isn't about that any more. But it was pretty normal for the time sadly."
@LJBeaute wrote:
"Well, it's a show that depicts the young lives of white people. The reality is that most, especially at that time, did not interact or have to interact with anyone else of different races. Even the token individual was depicted on the show. But Living Single was the blueprint."
@piscespuma said:
"Did they intend on having barely any black people as guests on the show? What about extras at least? As if there's no POC in New York city."
@CynthiaSax added:
"I don't buy this. At all. I live in a diverse city and a lack of diversity in any of the stories I tell 'feels' wrong. If I watch something on screen or on stage with no diversity, I notice it. Because it isn't my reality."
PAY ATTENTION: Join Briefly News' Telegram channel! Never miss important updates!
In other entertainment news, Briefly News reported that Bill Cosby has reportedly been denied parole this month. The Pennsylvania Parole Board said it took a lot of factors into consideration when it ruled against the old comedian.
The board said the US actor didn't take part in a treatment programme for sex offenders and he failed to develop a parole release plan. The media personality was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison after he was convicted of aggravated indecent assault of Andrea Constand at his home his 2004.
TMZ reported that Cosby's representative, Andrew Wyatt, told the publication that the star was not surprised by the recent decision because members of the board told him he would not be granted parole if he didn't participate in the sex offender programme.
Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!
Source: Briefly News
