Steve Park Exposes Racism on Friends Set, Sparks Dialogue

Actor Steve Park recounted a troubling racist incident he witnessed on the set of 'Friends' during a recent podcast appearance. He described the atmosphere as 'toxic' when a crew member referred to fellow actor James Hong using a racist slur, saying, 'Where is the Oriental guy? Get the Oriental guy.' This disturbing experience motivated Park to file a complaint with the Screen Actors Guild and write a 'mission statement' advocating for better treatment of Asian Americans in Hollywood. Although the L.A. Times showed initial interest, they never published his article, prompting him to share it through his email list, which led to widespread attention. Park emphasized that the incident reflects a broader issue of racism in the industry that was prevalent at the time. His actions sparked necessary conversations about discrimination against Asian Americans in entertainment.