The creators of hit sitcom Friends have opened up about their regrets over the show's all-white cast.
Speaking in a new interview The Hollywood Reporter, Friends creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, as well as executive producer Kevin Bright, sat down to talk about the iconic series in the wake of its two-hour-long HBO reunion special.
In the interview, Bright stated that the entirely caucasian cast was more down to the talent of the actors who came in to read for each part and that it was somewhat reflective of the social circles the creators moved in at the time.
Take a look at the trailer for the reunion special below:Bright went on to say that, in the nineties, television sitcoms weren't held under a microscope and scrutinized as closely by audiences, due to social media not being a thing back in the day.
However, Bright remained adamant that the showrunners had cast the best actors for the lead roles.
He said: "I would have been insane not to hire those six actors. 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."
Meanwhile, Kauffman said: "Back then, there was no conscious decision. We saw people of every race, religion, color. These were the six people we cast.
"So, it was certainly not conscious. And it wasn't because it was literally based on people, because it wasn’t literal."
She added: "There are probably a hundred things I would have done differently. I’ve talked about it in the past and I do have very strong feelings about my participation in a system, but it comes down to I didn't know what I didn't know."
Back in 2020, cast member Lisa Kudrow commented also on the subject of the casting choices in an interview with The Sunday Times.
When asked by the publication what would change about the show if it had been made today, Kudrow replied: "It would not be an all-white cast, for sure. I'm not sure what else, but, to me, it should be looked at as a time capsule, not for what they did wrong."
"This show thought it was very progressive. There was a guy whose wife discovered she was gay and pregnant, and they raised the child together. We had surrogacy too."
This interview comes not long after the reunion was criticized by some for featuring no Black stars in any of its special cameo roles.