friends Boss Marta Kaufman expressed regret for miscasting a transgender character on the show.
Executive producer Marta Kaufman said she thought the portrayal of Chandler Bing’s transgender parent was a “mistake” in a recent interview with BBC World Service’s The Conversation.
“We kept calling her ‘Chandler’s dad,’ even though Chandler’s dad was trans. Pronouns weren’t something I understood yet. So we didn’t call this character “she”. It was a mistake,” shared Kaufman.
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Kaufman also added that it’s important to her to build a diverse and inclusive workplace, saying, “I really like creating an environment where we have a happy group and a happy team.
“It is very important to me that the place where we are is a safe place, a tolerant place where there is no shouting. I fired a guy on the spot for making a joke about a trans operator. It just can’t happen.”
Kaufman has been criticized for the lack of diversity on Friends and says she has learned from past mistakes and agreed that black people were underrepresented on the show.
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“Friends has been criticized in various ways. The biggest one is that we don’t have enough black representation,” she said.
“And in the last few years I’ve come to the point where I can say, unfortunately, yes, I’m guilty of that. And I will never make that mistake again. I was obviously part of the systemic racism in our business. I wasn’t aware of it, which made me feel stupid.
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“It was a very valid, extremely difficult critique that I’m still … reeling from,” she continued.
“If I knew then what I know now, there are some things I would change. But I didn’t know them, and I’ve since learned.’
Kathleen Turner, who played Chandler’s transgender parent on the show, too addressed earlier critic of the show, admitting, “I don’t think it’s aged well. It was a 30 minute sitcom. It became a phenomenon, but no one ever took it seriously as a social commentary.”
You can hear Marta Kaufman discuss friendships, race and sexism with presenter Kim Chakanetsa and Ghanaian filmmaker Nicole Amarteifio on The Conversation on BBC World Service on Monday 11 July from 1130-1200 BST.
Friends airs on Netflix in the UK, where it also airs daily on Comedy Central. In the US, you can stream the show on HBO Max.
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