For actor and comedian Steve Park, his 1997 guest appearance on the blockbuster sitcom "Friends" marked a pivotal turning point in his career—albeit not in the manner he might have envisioned. Reflecting on the latest episode of the "Boy Meets World" rewatch podcast, aptly titled "Pod Meets World," Park unveiled that the "Friends" set was a "toxic" workplace, where he witnessed a distressing instance of racism. Specifically, he saw a crew member using derogatory language to address fellow guest actor James Hong, referring to him dismissively. This encounter galvanized Park into taking action, prompting him to file a complaint with the Screen Actors Guild and pen a groundbreaking "mission statement" that demanded better treatment for Asian Americans in Hollywood.
"At the time, I sensed a pervasive toxicity in the environment," Park reminisced about "Friends," which was then in its third season on NBC. He recounted how an unnamed crew member summoned Hong to the set, employing a derogatory term: "Where is the Oriental guy? Get the Oriental guy."
Park confided to the podcast's astounded hosts, Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, and Rider Strong, "After the incident, I reached out to the Screen Actors Guild, and the representative I spoke with suggested I pen an article for the L.A. Times." Convinced that "this issue transcended the confines of the show and was indicative of a larger, systemic problem," Park proceeded to draft the article. He observed, "This wasn't an isolated occurrence. In 1997, such behavior was tragically normalized in Hollywood. No one felt compelled to address or rectify it. It was deemed acceptable."
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives from NBC, "Friends" creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, and Hong for comment on Park's revelations.
Park disclosed that the L.A. Times dispatched reporters to interview him regarding his mission statement, but "unfortunately, they never published it." (EW has contacted the Times for a statement.) Undeterred, Park took matters into his own hands, disseminating the statement via email. This bold move sparked an overwhelming response from publications across the nation seeking permission to reprint it. "It went viral long before the term was coined," Park remarked.
Park's open letter, published in various outlets in the spring of 1997, drew parallels between his "Friends" experience and broader injustices suffered by Asian Americans and other people of color in the entertainment industry. He wrote, "Had this been an isolated incident, I wouldn't have felt compelled to pen this mission statement. Regrettably, I've found such attitudes and behaviors to be commonplace in Hollywood. Countless individuals have endured such indignities on film and television sets, and you can be certain such treatment persists within corporate cultures." He also noted, "Hate crimes against Asian Americans are on the rise, and negative media portrayals only fuel this disturbing trend."
On "Pod Meets World," Fishel lauded Park's mission statement as "ahead of its time" and "incredibly courageous," adding, "I highly recommend everyone reads it. It's still accessible online. Reading it, you'll realize Steve was voicing these concerns 26 years ago, and they remain as pertinent today."
Park revealed that the experience of authoring and discussing the mission statement deeply impacted him, leading him to take a step back from acting. "I became overly conscious of race and consumed by anger, viewing everything through a racial lens," he confessed. "I felt constrained, devoid of freedom. Unsure of my next steps, I decided to take a break from acting. I informed everyone, 'I'm done acting.'"
Only recently, while listening to comedian Bobby Lee's podcast, did Park overhear Lee casually remark, "'You know, [Park] got blacklisted.'" Park realized that a rumor had circulated claiming he'd been blacklisted in Hollywood. In reality, he attributed his screen hiatus to various factors, including the birth of his son, the emotional toll of writing the statement, and the scarcity of meaningful roles for Asian American actors. In 2021, he told EW that his character Mike Yanagita in "Fargo" was "the most intriguing Asian American character I'd ever encountered in a film script," yet it still "garnered criticism from some within the Asian American community who believed I was perpetuating a stereotype of the weak, emasculated Asian man."
Eventually, Park made his triumphant return to acting, appearing in films directed by acclaimed auteurs like Bong Joon-ho, Miranda July, and Wes Anderson over the past decade. Next, audiences will see him in Bong's sci-fi black comedy "Mickey 17," hitting theaters on March 7.
