Actor Stephen Park, recognized for appearing in two episodes of Friends, has lately shared his experiences about a racially charged event that transpired behind the scenes during the ’90s.
On the Pod Meets World podcast, Stephen Park expressed that the work environment was harmful and divulged an incident where a team member resorted to racist speech while addressing fellow actor James Hong.
At that moment, Park expressed that the atmosphere seemed somewhat poisonous. He remembered an assistant director demanding for Hong, saying, “Where on earth is the Asian man? Find the Asian man.” This statement left Park taken aback, yet he noted that nobody intervened or responded to it.
He mentioned that such an occurrence wasn’t a new event. “In fact, this sort of thing was just part of the regular routine in Hollywood back in 1997,” he continued. “No one seemed compelled to rectify it or even comment on it.
Park decided it was necessary to intervene and informed the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) about the incident. Yet, they didn’t respond as anticipated. Rather than dealing with the matter head-on, they suggested he pen an article for the L.A. Times, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Trying to increase understanding about the discrimination Asian actors often encounter in Hollywood, he started writing a statement sharing his own experiences.
Despite the L.A. Times attempting to publish an article based on their interviews with him, Park’s story was not printed. Growing increasingly impatient for a response, he decided to take action and circulated his statement among his email contacts instead.
His letter swiftly garnered notice, traveling throughout the nation as numerous media outlets sought authorization to republish it. In hindsight, he acknowledged that it spread like wildfire, predating the popular usage of the term ‘going viral.’
Park’s open letter didn’t only focus on the incident involving Friends, but also tackled the broader issue of discrimination within Hollywood. He explained that if the event had been an isolated one, he might not have felt compelled to speak out. However, recognizing this type of behavior as a recurring problem in the industry prompted him to write the statement.
In addition, Park emphasized that biased representations of Asians in the mass media have fueled actual discriminatory acts. He explained that instances of hate crimes targeting Asian-American communities are escalating and contended that detrimental stereotypes perpetuated in the entertainment industry exacerbate this issue.
After a profound influence, Park decided to take a break from acting temporarily. He confessed that his growing irritation had sensitized him significantly towards racial matters, causing him to view things primarily through that perspective.
Feeling confined with no room for liberty, he struggled to find a way out. Unable to foresee his future actions, in the end, he chose to depart from that field.
Following a break of about a year, Park gradually came back to his acting career again. Throughout various stages, he’s been featured in productions such as The Mindy Project, Ghosted, Law & Order, and Asteroid City.
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2025-03-06 08:52