An actor who guest-starred on Friends has accused the sitcom of racism, claiming there was a ‘toxic environment’ on set.
Stephen Park featured on two episodes of the beloved sitcom, one in 1996 and one in 1997, playing two different characters.
In 1999 he penned a highly-publicized open letter criticizing the media portrayal of Asian Americans, as well as claiming he had an ‘an extremely painful experience’ while ‘working as a guest star on one of the highest rated shows on television.’
He was widely regarded as having been referring to Friends – which he confirmed in a recent interview, shedding light on the reasons behind his letter.
Park claimed that he heard an assistant director calling another Asian American actor to the set by saying: ‘Where the f*** is the Oriental guy? Get the Oriental guy.’
The actor added that ‘nobody felt the need to correct this or say anything about it,’ speaking to Danielle Fishel on her podcast Pod Meets World.
Friends – starring Jennifer and Courtney with Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer – ran on NBC from 1994 to 2004
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