Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman has spoken on a number of occasions about the changes that she would make to the series if it were being made now, including her regret at casting Kathleen Turner as the transgender parent of Chandler Bing. However, Turner herself doesn’t have the same regret about playing the role in the popular sitcom, but wouldn’t take on the role if it was being offered to her now.

While speaking to The Guardian, Turner was asked about her role as a transgender woman in Friends, and addressed how at the time there was never any question about playing the role and no feeling that another actor was losing out on a part because of her casting. She also made a note that although she would not necessarily accept a role like that now, playing the part as an actor was a challenge she doesn’t regret taking on. She said:

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The subject of representation of many groups in older movies and TV shows is constantly the subject of fierce debate on social media. While some argue that the appearance of transgender and gay characters on screen at all was something that helped move attitudes forward and begin a long journey to diversity in the industry, there are others who believe that only those characters should never have been portrayed by the actors playing them.

“There was no question of casting a trans person or a drag queen – it was never considered. It never crossed my mind that I was taking a role from someone. [Would I do it now?] Probably not. But I certainly don’t regret having taken it. It was a challenge!”

How Does Friends Remain Popular Despite It’s Problematic Content?

     Warner Bros. Television

As times change, some movies and TV shows of the past remain relevant and others begin to feel outdated. The boom in streaming of old content has seen more and more movies and shows being labeled for their offensive content, various instances of negative stereotyping and often historically accurate but outdated views on race, gender and other socially evolving topics.

Friends has its fair share of these issues, with a cast that is almost completely white, jokes around body size, gender and sexuality and a general lack of diversity often being called out online. However, the series continues to be a popular draw, both for those who watched it the first time around, and a new generation who are just discovering it.

The main reason for Friends’ continues success is that in the whole, the show has continued to entertain new audiences, who have been happy to simple put its occasionally outdated content down to the fact that series is now three decades old. As has been addressed by many involved with the series, although it would never be made the same way now, there is nothing that can be changed about the time it was made, when its content was representative of sensibilities of the early 1990s.