Lisa Kudrow Gives Her Take on 'Friends' ' Lack of Diversity, Singles Out How Creators Could Have Improved

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Kurt Krieger/Corbis via Getty

Lisa Kudrowis reflecting onFriends' shortcomings.

The Emmy winner, 59, commented on the hit NBC sitcom’s lack of diversity and inclusion as she spoke toThe Daily Beastabout what it would take to revive the show, which ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004.

“I think if there would ever be anything like that, if [creatorsMarta Kauffmanand David Crane] ever signed off on anything like that, it would have to be a different cast at that age,” she said. “I think it would need to be more current — and more diverse representation is not a bad idea, you know?”

Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing (front l-r) Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green.Reisig & Taylor/Getty

Kudrow added, “They have no business writing stories about the experiences of being a person of color. I think at that time, the big problem that I was seeing was, ‘Where’s the apprenticeship?'”

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Most recently, shepledged $4 millionto the African and African American Studies department of Brandeis University in June to rectify the show’s lack of inclusivity.

“I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years,” Kauffman told theLos 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.”

source: people.com