an image featuring friends
“Friends” co-creator Marta Kaufman says she found it difficult to accept the criticism the show received for its lack of diversity. The New York-set sitcom, which featured a white cast—Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer—run from 1994 to 2004, but rarely featured a character of color.
Kaufman, who has said in the past that it was “difficult and frustrating” to understand why people were so critical of the show, believes he realized the importance of on-screen representation after the George Floyd incident.
Kaufman, who co-produced the show with David Crane, told The Los Angeles, “It’s not easy to admit and admit guilt. It’s painful to look at yourself in the mirror. I’m ashamed I didn’t know better 25 years ago.” ” Times.
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“After what happened to George Floyd, I started buying into systemic racism in ways I was never aware of.
It was actually the moment I began to examine the ways in which I had participated. I knew then I needed to course-correct,” she said.
In an effort to redeem himself, Kaufman stated that he offered to give US$4 million to his alma mater, Brandeis University, for an endowed chair in the school’s Department of African and African American Studies, one of the oldest in the US. has promised.
The writer-producer said that in her future projects, she will ensure that she has a diverse team on board.
“I want to make sure in every production from now on that I am aware of hiring people of color and actively pursuing young writers of color. I want to know if I will work differently from now on .and then I will feel without burden.”