Adam Goldberg reflected on his experience filmingFriends and called out the lack of diversity on the show.
In an interview with The Independent, Goldberg, who played Chandler Bing's roommate Eddie for three episodes in 1996, opened up about the sitcom’s all;-white cast.
“One criticism was how the hell do these people afford to even live in New York?” he told the outlet. “Their apartment is massive, and it’s an incredibly unrealistic portrayal of New York. I’m not even 100 per cent sure I knew it took place in that city.”
He continued, “I’ve heard Black people speak about this and it’s like, you never expected to see yourself, so when you didn’t, it was not a surprise, and you ended up identifying to characters, irrespective of their race.”
He mentioned that since the lack of diversity was the "norm" at the time, it didn’t seem odd.
“The entire culture was like that, and television was just an amplification of that culture,” he noted.
However, despite his grievances, the The Exorcism actor said that he has always been grateful for his time on the famous show even if it was just for three episodes.
“I’m so happy to be part of the show’s legacy. I love it,” Goldberg said.
In 2022, creator Marta Kauffman also expressed similar sentiments about the show's lack of diversity.
"I've learned a lot in the last 20 years," Kauffman said in an interview with 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."