Friends remains one of television’s most beloved and iconic sitcoms, but a recent revelation has cast a shadow over its enduring legacy. Actor Stephen Park, who appeared in two episodes of the show, has alleged that the set fostered a “toxic environment” where racist remarks went unchecked.
During an appearance on the Pod Meets World podcast, Park recalled his troubling experience while filming the show’s second season episode, The One with the Chicken Pox, and later in The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion in Season 3. As reported by Variety, he shared a disturbing incident involving veteran actor James Hong.
“It was, at the time, kind of a toxic environment,” Park stated. “James Hong was the actor who was also on the episode with me, and [the assistant director] was calling him to the set, essentially saying, ‘Where the ***k is the Oriental guy? Get the Oriental guy.’”
‘Nobody Felt the Need to Correct This’
Park further elaborated that such behaviour was commonplace in Hollywood at the time. “This isn’t the first time this happened,” he said. “But this was the environment—this was business as usual in Hollywood in 1997. And nobody felt the need to correct this or say anything about it. So this was normal behaviour.”
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Following the incident, Park approached the Screen Actors Guild, where he was advised to write a statement to The LA Times. However, the issue was not pursued further.
Friends, which starred Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, and Lisa Kudrow, continues to be celebrated by fans worldwide. However, these allegations add to ongoing discussions about the show’s lack of diversity and problematic elements in hindsight.
Matthew Perry, who played the beloved Chandler Bing, passed away in 2023. Toxicology reports confirmed that his death resulted from acute ketamine effects, alongside drowning and coronary artery disease.