Actor Stephen Park, known for his guest roles on Friends and other notable TV series, recently shared a difficult memory of his time on the iconic sitcom. Despite the show’s status as one of the most beloved comedies of all time, Park revealed that his experience on set in the late 1990s was far from positive. In a recent interview on the Pod Meets World podcast, Park recounted an encounter with a toxic environment while filming his appearances in Friends Season 2’s “The One with the Chicken Pox” and Season 3’s “The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion.”
According to Park, the incident took place during his time working with actor James Hong, where an assistant director’s use of racially insensitive language left a lasting impact on him. He recalled, “James Hong was the actor who was also on the episode with me, and [the assistant director] was calling him to the set and you know, essentially saying, ‘Where the f— is the Oriental guy? Get the Oriental guy.’”
This moment left Park feeling uncomfortable and disillusioned. He described the general atmosphere on set as toxic, stating that it was a reflection of the broader Hollywood culture at the time, particularly in the late 1990s. “This isn’t the first time that this happened, you know, but this is the environment where this is business as usual in Hollywood in 1997, I guess it was. And nobody felt the need to correct this or say anything about it. So this is normal behavior.”
Park’s experiences on set reflect a troubling chapter of Hollywood history, where racial stereotyping and marginalization of actors from minority backgrounds were prevalent. For Park, this wasn’t an isolated incident but a part of an industry-wide pattern of disregard for respect and inclusivity. At the time, he noted that it was common for people to brush off such inappropriate behavior without repercussion.
In the aftermath of the incident, Park took steps to address the situation. He reached out to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) to voice his concerns, hoping for support and guidance on how to handle the issue. However, the representative he spoke with recommended he write an article to The Los Angeles Times. Park went on to write a “mission statement” about the experience and submitted it to the publication. Although the paper never published his article, Park revealed that The Los Angeles Times did send a couple of reporters to interview him.
Unable to garner widespread attention through traditional outlets, Park decided to take matters into his own hands. He shared his statement as an open letter, which he sent to his “email list.” The letter quickly gained traction and spread across the internet, pre-dating the viral nature of content that would come to define online culture years later. “It went viral before ‘viral’ was even a word,” Park remarked.
The experience had a profound effect on Park, shaping his perspective on race and his place in the industry. As he reflected on his heightened sensitivity to race, he shared how it led him to feel alienated and frustrated. “I had become so race-conscious and so angry that I was looking at everything through the lens of race,” he said. “I felt like there was no freedom. I didn’t feel any freedom.”
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This sense of disillusionment ultimately led Park to step away from acting. He made the decision to leave the industry, telling those around him, “I’m not acting anymore.” His departure was not permanent, though. Over time, Park slowly made his way back into the industry, though his journey was not without its challenges. His career eventually picked up again, with appearances in Boy Meets World, Law & Order, The Venture Bros., and Mad About You, among other projects.
In the years since his time on Friends, Park has reflected on how his experiences shaped his career and his views on the industry. His story sheds light on the difficulties faced by many actors of color in Hollywood, particularly during a time when racial sensitivity was not as prominent a concern as it is today. While the entertainment industry has made strides in diversity and inclusion, Park’s story serves as a reminder of the work still needed to address the systemic issues of racism that persist in Hollywood.
Through his experience, Park learned valuable lessons about resilience and self-advocacy. While the road back to acting was slow and filled with uncertainty, it also allowed him to reclaim his career and sense of self. Today, he stands as an example of how individuals can overcome adversity and use their platform to call attention to issues of race, equality, and respect in the entertainment industry.
