Stephen Park, an actor known for his appearances in Friends during the 1990s, recently opened up about his negative experience on the set of the iconic American sitcom.
Park, who appeared in Friends twice first in Season 2’s The One with the Chicken Pox and again in Season 3’s The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion recalled an unsettling experience involving racism on the show’s set.
During a recent appearance on the Pod Meets World podcast, Park described the environment on set at the time as "toxic." He shared a particularly painful incident involving fellow actor James Hong, who was also on the episode with him. According to Park, an assistant director on the set referred to Hong in a racially offensive manner, calling out to him by saying, "Where the fu** is the Oriental guy? Get the Oriental guy."
In his discussion, Park expressed how this behaviour was not unique to the Friends set but was instead part of a broader issue within the entertainment industry at the time. "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 behaviour," Park reflected. The incident, he said, underscored the casual nature of racial discrimination that prevailed in Hollywood during that period, when such behaviour often went unchallenged.
Park felt compelled to speak out about the incident and its wider implications. He reached out to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) to lodge a formal complaint, but instead of receiving the support he expected, he was advised to write an article for the Los Angeles Times in an effort to publicise the issue. Park complied, writing a mission statement on the matter and sending it to the paper. Although reporters interviewed him, the story was never published, which left Park feeling disillusioned and unheard.
Frustrated and disheartened, Park considered leaving the industry altogether. "I had become so race-conscious and so angry that I was looking at everything through the lens of race. I felt like there was no freedom. I didn’t feel any freedom. So, I didn’t have any idea what I was going to do, but I just decided to drop out. I told everybody, ‘I’m not acting anymore’," he admitted.
Despite this setback, Park’s passion for the industry ultimately led him to return to acting after a period of introspection. However, his career would take a slower, more deliberate pace. Over time, he went on to land notable roles in Boy Meets World, Law & Order, The Venture Bros., and Mad About You, among others. More recently, Park appeared in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City and is set to star in Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17.
Park also shared that, in the wake of the incident, he wrote an open letter expressing his thoughts and frustrations. This letter, he noted, "went viral before ‘viral’ was even a word," gaining traction among those who shared his views on racism in Hollywood. Despite the challenges he faced, Park's experiences serve as a reminder of the long-standing issues surrounding race and discrimination in the entertainment industry, as well as the importance of speaking out in the face of injustice.
His story reflects not only the personal toll racism can take but also the broader cultural shifts that have since taken place, as conversations around race and inclusion in Hollywood have gained more visibility in recent years. Park’s openness about his struggles offers a unique perspective on a time when such issues were often swept under the rug, and his eventual return to acting highlights his resilience and determination.