Marta Kauffman, who is one of the creators of the former sitcom “Friends”, has opened up about her regrets for not including racial diversity on the show as she pledged $4 million to support African American studies. In case you weren’t aware, Marta, fellow creator David Crane, and executive producer Kevin Bright were previously bashed for only ever casting two people of color across 10 seasons on the award-winning series.
Many people, particularly those who weren’t of Caucasian descent, couldn’t fathom how a show based in Manhattan barely ever included people of other backgrounds unless they were hired as extras. In a new interview with The Los Angeles Times, published on Wednesday, the TV veteran admitted to being “embarrassed” about predominantly casting white people.
“I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years,” she said. “Admitting and accepting guilt is not easy. It’s painful looking at yourself in the mirror. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know better 25 years ago.” It wasn’t until 2002 when Marta and her team introduced Aisha Tyler, the first black actress, as a series regular, who ends up dating Ross Geller. But after just nine episodes, her role had been cut.
Speaking of her decision to hire an all-white lead cast in her past interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Pennsylvania native expressed, “There are probably a hundred things I would have done differently. It’s important for today’s shows to be reflective of the ways society truly is.”
Kevin chimed in by agreeing to some extent, as he gushed, “We didn’t intend to have an all-white cast. That was not the goal, either. What can I say? ‘I wish Lisa was Black?’ I’ve loved this cast. I loved the show and I loved the experience. I know Marta has a different feeling about it. I think it affects us all.”
Marta’s generous donation will be contributed to the African American studies at Brandeis University, located in Massachusetts.
Of course, this is not the first time the 65-year-old TV veteran has spoken out about her stance on how “Friends” was predominantly focused around Caucasian people and neglected the idea of welcoming other races into storylines. “I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years,” Marta previously told The Los Angeles Times. “Admitting and accepting guilt is not easy. It’s painful looking at yourself in the mirror. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know better 25 years ago.”
Even characters on “Friends,” such as David Schwimmer, who played Ross, have spoken out about the lack of diversity on the show, saying he had campaigned for years that producers welcomed the idea of his character dating women of color. “One of the first girlfriends I had on the show was an Asian American woman, and later I dated African American women. That was a very conscious push on my part,” he told The Guardian.
“It’s interesting also how the show handled the Judaism of the characters. I don’t think that was earth-shattering or groundbreaking at all, but I for one was glad that we had at least one episode where it wasn’t just about Christmas.”