Adam Goldberg has revealed that he is proud to be a part of Friends’ enduring legacy, but thinks the show’s lack of diversity is “insane” by modern standards.
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Goldberg appeared as Eddie, Chandler’s rebound roommate after Joey moved into his own apartment, in three episodes of Friends’ second season in 1996.
The actor, who went on to appear in Fargo and Saving Private Ryan , was asked by The Independent about the NBC comedy’s lack of representation of people of color.
“In terms of diversity, looking back, it seems insane,” Goldberg said. “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. It was just the norm that there was such a lack of diversity.”
Goldberg added that he has previously complained about Italians being able to play Jewish characters and bemoaned feedback in which he has been described as not “all-American” enough. “The entire culture was like that, and television was just an amplification of that culture,” he said.
Friends’ diversity deficit is often a topic of discussion when the show’s stars and creators are interviewed. Marta Kauffman said in 2022 that she was “embarrassed” by the comedy’s focus on straight, white twentysomethings. David Schwimmer said he campaigned for Ross to date a woman of color, while Lisa Kudrow said a modern version of the show would have a “more diverse” cast.
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Goldberg revealed that he nearly turned down the Friends role alongside Matthew Perry because he was a “snob” about the series.
“I remember very specifically getting the call from my agent and them saying they were offering me this part, and that it started maybe two days later – everything’s always very fast in that world because you’re shooting an episode a week. And I was like, ‘No way. I’m not doing that show.’ And my agent was like, ‘Yes, you are.'”
He reflected fondly on performing scenes with Perry. “When you’re working with somebody like Matt, who has such great comedy chops, your game just gets elevated,” he said. “I remember just joking around a lot, having a lot of really quick repartee.”
Goldberg continued: “I’m so happy to be part of the show’s legacy. I love it. I think about all those guys, and how incredible someone like Jennifer Aniston is, who’s managed to have this really pretty expansive career. And it’s really remarkable, because I think it must be very, very, very hard to have been part of something that was so insanely popular and not solely be identified by it.”
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