Adam Goldberg Criticises ‘Friends’ For 'Unrealistic Portrayal' And Lack of Diversity

In a recent interview, Adam Goldberg, who played the quirky roommate Eddie on ‘Friends’, expressed his concerns about the show’s lack of diversity. Reflecting on his three-episode stint in 1996, Goldberg questioned the show’s portrayal of New York City, noting, “How the hell did these characters afford to live in their nice apartments?” He described ‘Friends’ as offering an “incredibly unrealistic portrayal” of city life.

Goldberg pointed out that the show’s diversity issues were glaring, saying, “In terms of diversity, looking back, it seems insane.” He recounted conversations with Black individuals who felt underrepresented, stating that they were not surprised by the lack of representation and instead identified with characters regardless of race.

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The actor also discussed broader industry trends, highlighting that the lack of diverse representation was a common issue of the time. “It was the norm that there was such a lack of diversity,” he said. 

Goldberg compared it to other instances where cultural and ethnic casting was skewed, noting, “I spent a lot of my career complaining about how Italians can play Jews but rarely see a known Jewish actor playing Italian.”

Image Courtesy: People

Goldberg shared personal experiences of being criticised for not being “all-American enough,” a term he views as now outdated. “If you were to say that to somebody now, you’d probably be fired,” he commented.

Despite these issues, Goldberg expressed gratitude for his role on ‘Friends’. “I’m so happy to be part of the show’s legacy. I love it,” he said. He praised the show’s stars, particularly Jennifer Aniston, for their successful careers following their time on the sitcom. “It’s really remarkable, because it must be very, very hard to have been part of something so insanely popular and not solely be identified by it,” Goldberg concluded.

-Sushmita Sarkar