Friends star Aisha Tyler, who played Charlie Wheeler, David Schwimmer’s on-screen girlfriend, has spoken out about a casting issue with the show.
Aisha Tyler has discussed the lack of diversity on Friends, sharing her thoughts on her own experience as one of the few Black cast members.
The 53-year-old actress first appeared in season nine in 2003, becoming the only Black actress with a recurring role.
She portrayed Charlie Wheeler, a paleontology professor who dated Ross Geller (David Schwimmer).
Before dating Ross, Charlie was involved with his friend Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), which caused some tension between the two.
Tyler noted that the predominantly white cast was a topic of discussion even back then, not just something people critique in hindsight.
She explained, “It wasn’t like it was just something that people looked back at later and said, ‘Wait a minute.’
“No, at the time, people talked quite a bit about the fact that, for a show that was set in the heart of Manhattan, it really lacked diversity.”
In her interview with The Independent, she added, “But we didn’t have social media back then, so it wasn’t the large-scale conversation that it became later.”
Adam Goldberg, also 53, reflected on his brief role as Eddie, Joey’s creepy roommate, in three episodes during season two.
Tyler also mentioned that Schwimmer, who co-directed the show, was actively trying to promote more diversity in the cast.
She spoke about the friendships she made on the show, especially her connection with the late Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing.
Perry tragically passed away last year from a drug overdose.
Friends has faced criticism over the years for being non-inclusive, racist, and homophobic.
Jennifer Aniston, 55, who played Rachel Green, admitted in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that the show should have handled diversity issues better.
She said: “There’s a whole generation of people, kids, who are now going back to episodes of Friends and find them offensive. We should have thought it through, but I don’t think there was a sensitivity like there is now.”
Tyler shared her own experiences, saying she was once turned down for a role because the production had already cast a Black character.
Though she sees some progress, she still encourages more women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups to “get behind the camera and tell their stories.”
In other Friends news, fans were surprised to learn that Jennifer Aniston had a two-year relationship with one of her co-stars.
Even though it’s been over 20 years since Aniston’s romance with her Friends guest star ended, some fans are just now finding out about it.
During her time on the show, Aniston dated actor Tate Donovan, now 60, who appeared in season four as Joshua Burgin, a love interest for Rachel. He hired Rachel as his personal shopper, and their characters briefly dated before breaking up.
Aniston and Donovan had dated in real life for two years after meeting in 1995, but by the time he appeared on Friends, their relationship was ending.
He added that it was “just tough” and clarified that they didn’t start dating after meeting on Friends.
Tate further clarified, “In fact, we had dated for two years before then, and it was over by the time we were on Friends together.”
