Aisha Tyler, known for her role in the iconic sitcom Friends, has opened up

about her experiences as one of the only black cast members on the show.

The 53-year-old actress, who was the only black actress to have a recurring

role on the show, first appeared in season nine in 2003. She played Charlie Wheeler, Ross Geller’s paleontology professor girlfriend, a character portrayed by David Schwimmer. Before ending up with Ross, she went on a few dates with Joey Tribbiani, famously played by Matt LeBlanc.

Tyler acknowledged that the predominantly white cast was a topic of discussion at the time. She said: “It wasn’t like it was just something that people looked back at later and said, “Wait a minute.” No, at the time, people talked quite a bit about the fact that, for a show that was set in the heart of Manhattan, it really lacked diversity.

Adam Goldberg, also 53, shared his experiences from his brief stint on Friends, where he played Joey’s roommate Eddie for three episodes in season two. Tyler revealed that she knew Schwimmer, who also co-directed the show, was pushing for more diversity.

She also reflected fondly on the friendships she made on the set, including the one she had with the late Matthew Perry, who played the charming Chandler Bing. Friends has faced criticism for being non-inclusive, racist, and homophobic.

Jennifer Aniston, 55, who played Rachel Green in the iconic sitcom, expressed her thoughts to Entertainment Weekly: “There’s a whole generation of people, kids, who are now going back to episodes of Friends and find them offensive. We should have thought it through, but I don’t think there was a sensitivity like there is now.”In addition to Friends, Tyler revealed that she has been rejected for a role because a black character had already been cast. While she believes that a lot of progress has been made in the TV industry, she is still encouraging more women, people of colour and other marginalized groups to ‘get behind the camera and tell their stories.’

It comes after Friends fans were left floored to discover that actress Jennifer Aniston dated her co-star for two years. It’s been more than two decades since Jennifer Aniston ‘s relationship with a future Friends co-star ended but some fans say they have only just found out about the romance.

Jennifer, now 55, played Rachel Green on the beloved NBC sitcom, which ran from 1994 to 2004. Over its ten seasons she worked alongside various colleagues, including actor Tate Donovan, now 60, whom she had dated for two years.

Tate – known for shows like the O.C. and for voicing the title character in Disney ‘s Hercules – had a guest role as Joshua Burgin on the fourth season of Friends in episodes that aired back in 1998. Joshua was introduced as a love-interest for Rachel, who he hired as a personal shopper.

The two characters went on to briefly date but ended up parting ways later in the season. Prior to working together, Jennifer and Tate had themselves dated in real life for two years after having met in 1995, and he has previously said that his role on the show came amid their break-up.