The veteran actor who appeared in “Friends” recalls witnessing racism on the set of his beloved NBC sitcom.
Steve Park detailed the alleged incident that occurred while filming the season three episode, “The Ultimate Fighting Champion.” “Pod Meets World” podcast Monday.
Park, whose guest starred as a character named Phil, said fellow actor James Hong, who played the boxing coach's zodiac sign, was the subject of racial acclaim.
“[The assistant director] He was calling him on the set, but essentially “Is F-K an oriental guy? Get an oriental guy,” Park insisted.
The “Fargo” actor noted that racial insensibility was considered “normal business” in Hollywood in the 90s, and that the incident wasn't what he first saw.
“I didn't feel the need to fix this or say anything about it. This is normal behavior,” he said.
When Park contacted the Screen Actors Guild about racist comments, the union recommended that they write to the Los Angeles Times.
He sent a “mission statement” to the newspaper, but said that despite “several reporters” interviewing him, the story never went public.
The former “Living Color” cast members are ultimately He issued his statement as an open letter to the Hollywood star on his “mailing list.”
In a statement, Park explained his feelings about the incident in more detail.
“It wasn't safe to say anything given the vibe of the set. After all, on an average Hollywood set, finding someone of color is very similar to finding Waldo,” he wrote at the time.
The comedian, who previously appeared as Chandler Bin's colleague Scott Alexander in the episode of the “Friends” episode of Season 2, “Chicken Pox,” said in “Pod Meat World,” that he believes the set of the show is “a toxic environment.”
Park also explained how he was “angry” about his overabundance of racism in Hollywood, and he paused his acting career.
“I didn't feel free, so I didn't know what I was trying to do, but I decided to drop out. I told everyone, 'I'm not acting anymore,'” he said.
However, the actor returned to work a few years later, starring in the rave reviewed indie film Rocket Science in 2007 and Wes Anderson's Asteroid City in 2023, starring in many other projects. Most recently, he played Agent Zeke in “Mickey 17,” which hit the theater on Friday.
