Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman not only regrets the cast’s lack of diversity, she also feels bad for the show’s portrayal of a transgender character.
In a clip from Kauffman’s upcoming interview on the BBC World Service conversation, she recalled the decision to refer to Chandler Bing’s (Matthew Perry) transgender mother as his “dad”.
“Pronouns weren’t something I understood yet,” Kauffman admitted. “So we didn’t call this character ‘she.’ That was a mistake.'”
Chandler’s trans mom, Amanda Bing, played by Kathleen Turner, has appeared in several “Friends” episodes, including “The One With Monica And Chandler’s Wedding, Part 1.”
Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman also created Netflix’s Grace and Frankie. WireImage
Kathleen Turner played Amanda Bing on Friends. © Warner Bros./Courtesy of Everett C
In 2019, Turner said on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen that she wouldn’t take the role these days because “there would be real people who could do it [the role].”
Kauffman, who also created Netflix’s Grace and Frankie, told the BBC how she changed her sets to be more inclusive.
“I really like creating an environment where we have a happy set and a happy crew. It is very important to me that we are in a safe place, in a tolerant place, where there is no yelling. I fired a guy on the spot for making a joke about a trans cameraman. It just can’t be allowed to happen,” she said.
Marta Kauffman has apologized for the show’s lack of diversity. Above: Turner as Amanda Bing and Perry as Chandler Bing. © Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett C
“Friends” has long been criticized for its lack of diversity. The popular show, which ran from 1994 to 2004, features a group of six white, straight best friends who live in Greenwich Village, a famous gay neighborhood in New York — a historically diverse city.
Recently, Kauffman finally admitted the show’s flaws and pledged her alma mater, Brandeis University, $4 million to fund an endowed chair in the school’s department of African and African American Studies, one of the oldest in the country.
Kauffman’s full interview with the BBC will air on July 11.