Season nine featured Aisha Tyler as palaeontologist Charlie Wheeler, Joey and Ross’s romantic interests.
Despite her limited appearances on Friends, Tyler has acknowledged that people sometimes call her the “Black girl from Friends,” despite the significant role she played during her time there.
“It was a huge show, a worldwide hit,” she said Entertainment Weekly. “Charlie, Charlie” or “Black girl from Friends” is the response I still get when people approach me.
Additionally, Tyler was the only Black character to have a recurring role on the program.
Grazia pointed out that no Black cast members, including Phil Lewis
(who portrayed Chandler’s employer) or Gabrielle Union (who was Joey and Ross’s love interest), were present at the Friends 2021 reunion, which led to further criticism of the show.
