One of the most popular sitcoms of its time,Friendshas once again reclaimed the limelight. However, it’s in the news for the wrong reasons this time.

While fans of Friends recall the show as being much ahead of its time, one of the cast members from the show has shared some behind-the-scenes details from the sitcom, naming it as ‘toxic environment’.

TV actor Stephen Park, who made a guest appearance on the show at two instances, has mentioned about racist remarks on the show from his peers. According to the claims made by Stephen, he did not recall having any fond memories from the show at the time of its filming.

Stephen Park on racist remarks

The actor mentioned details about the incident recently on an episode of Pod Meets World podcast. He said, “It was at the time, I felt it was kind of a toxic environment.” He detailed that James Hong, an actor who filmed at the time with him, was called the “Oriental Guy” by the assistant director of the episode.

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Actions taken by Stephen Park regarding the incident

On the podcast, Stephen shared that he knew such an incident was not taking place for the first time. He revealed that it was a normal environment in Hollywood in the late 1990s. “And nobody felt the need to correct this or say anything about it,” he added. However, the actor did not keep quiet about the issue. So much so that he went to complain about the issue with the Screen Actors Guild, where he was suggested to write an article to the LA Times.

According to him, following the advice, he wrote to the LA Times, and they even sent reporters to cover the story. However, it never went public and failed to see the light of the day.

Adding to his experience, Park recalled that he ended up being race-conscious after witnessing the ignorance in the industry towards race sensitivity.

Which episodes did Stephen Park appear in?

Stephen Park acted in Friends for two episodes, one in Season 2 and Season 3 each. In Season 2, he appeared in the episode The One With the Chicken Pox, while in Season 3, he was part of the episode titled The One With the Ultimate Fighting Champion.

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Apart from friends, Park has also been a part of other shows, namely Boy Meets World, Law & Order, The Venture Bros. and Mad About You.

FAQs

1. When was Friends aired?

American television sitcom Friends aired on NBC from September 1994 till May 2004. The show included 10 seasons.

1. Who are the lead actors in the show Friends?
   

The show revolves around the life of six friends. It included Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, late Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer as the show leads.