Aisha Tyler Remembers Friends Gig And The Memorable Comment Matthew Perry Made To Her On Her First Night Taping (2024)

Aisha Tyler has had a long career in television ranging from a key voice acting role on Archer, co-hosting The Talk, and a long stint on the procedural Criminal Minds. Now, the actress is recounting her early start on the incredibly successful NBC show, Friends, and sharing a memorable comment Matthew Perry said to her on her first day of shooting.

Tyler’s career skyrocketed when she landed a recurring guest appearance on Friends as Charlie, the love interest of both Joey and Ross during her time on the show. She appeared later in the series run, and she was a central figure in several main plots in the show. When discussing what it was like working on the iconic series, Tyler shared one particular thing Matthew Perry said to her on her first taping night. The actress detailed to InStyle:

The night of my very first live performance in front of a studio audience, as the cast came together at the end of the taping to take a bow in front of the crowd, Matthew Perry made a point of saying to me, 'Get ready for your life to change,' and it did! He may have said that to every guest actor, I don't know, but it was a special moment for me, and a seminal memory of my time there.

Friends was such an incredibly popular show, so this wasn’t a strange thing for Perry to say. Before the show premiered, producer Jim Burrows took the cast to Vegas as one last hoorah before their own lives were changed. He likely was just passing on the sentiment. Being on Friends was a straight shot to stardom, and Tyler knew this. The Criminal Minds star remembered being intimidated by the legacy of Friends, however, the cast was welcoming and helped clamTyler’s nerves. She explained:

The cast was incredibly welcoming when I first joined. This was in Season 9 when they had already had several very high-profile guest actors on the show, including Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Tom Selleck, and Bruce Willis. I think they were very aware that it could be an intimidating set, and they made a special effort to be kind and open toward me when I arrived.

Clearly, the Friends cast was hyper-aware of their own popularity, and they did everything they could to make guests feel as comfortable as possible. As for her experience on the show, and what it did for her professionally, Tyler looks back on her Friends stint fondly. The actress also discussed what it was like to be the first Black actress to have a recurring role on the series. Tyler further detailed:

Honestly, it was a great experience personally and creatively. I don't think that I felt like, even though I knew that was a milestone, I don't know that I felt like they turned it into something more than what it was, which was just a love interest for Ross ... There [wasn't dialog] about the fact that it was an interracial relationship. There was no commentary on the show about my character being Black, and I think they had just written this character as this kind of love triangle between Ross and Joey. They happened to hire a Black woman, which — I don't know that I'm advocating for colorblind casting any more than I'm advocating for people doing a better job at making shows diverse.

Shows like Friends have been criticized in the past for only featuring white actors, especially when set in areas of such diversity as New York City. There are now much more diverse casts featured on modern-day sitcoms, and more diverse personnel behind the scenes as well. Shows like New Girl and Abbott Elementary are extremely successful and have promoted diversity in casting. Television has come a long way, and Tyler was there breaking barriers from the start.

Aisha Tyler is still killing it on the small screen. Paramount+ subscribers can catch the actress in Criminal Minds: Evolution. You can also revisit Tyler’s historic appearance on Friends, which is available to stream with an HBO Max subscription. For more information on other series coming to television and streaming in the near future, make sure to consult CinemaBlend’s 2023 TV schedule.

Aisha Tyler Remembers Friends Gig And The Memorable Comment Matthew Perry Made To Her On Her First Night Taping (1)

Caroline Young

Writer

Writer, podcaster, CinemaBlend contributor, film and television nerd, enthusiastic person. Hoping to bring undying passion for storytelling to CinemaBlend.

More about television

Stephen Nedoroscik (And Wildly Taylor Lautner) Had A Funny Comment After Pro Rylee Arnold Showed Off His Shirtless Look For DWTS’ Disney NightThe Last Day Filming Blue Bloods With Tom Selleck On Set Sounds Intense, But Donnie Wahlberg Is Trying To Keep His Chin Up: ‘Gratitude, Not Saditude’

Latest

Jamie Dornan’s Pal Just Told Him About The ‘Opera Bath’ Phenomenon, And It’s Something I Could Totally See Happening In Fifty Shades Of Grey
See more latest►

TOPICS

Most Popular
NCIS: LA Vet Eric Christian Olsen Is Keeping Tabs On Michael Weatherly's Tony And Ziva, And His Latest Comment Will Have Fans All Riled Up
Gladiator 2's Paul Mescal Revealed The One Thing He'll 'Forever Be Angry' At Ridley Scott For
’I Talked To Reese And Riley.’ Stevie Nicks Pitched A Wonderful, Wishful Idea For Daisy Jones And The Six Season 2, And Where Do I Sign Up?
Is Patrick Dempsey Returning For Scream 7? Here’s The Latest From The Grey’s Anatomy Alum
Wait, Are Diddy’s Arrest And Jamie Foxx’s Medical Issues Connected?
Zendaya Might Not Be Dressing For A Specific Movie Right Now, But Her Red Leather Date Night Look Matching Tom Holland Absolutely Slayed
'Venom: The Last Dance' Interviews with Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, Chiwetel Ejiofor
‘No Strings Fun’: Jennifer Lopez Is Reportedly Seeing Other Men As Divorce From Ben Affleck Rages On
‘Essentially I’m Naked’: Tom Holland Gets Really Honest About His Spidey Suit, And It Sounds Like It Might As Well Be His Birthday Suit
The True Story Behind How 'Leave The Gun, Take The Cannoli' Actually Came About On The Godfather
The Penguin’s Michael Kelly Tells Us The ‘Weird’ Aspect Of His Final Scene, But I Think It Shows How Intense This DC Show Can Be
Aisha Tyler Remembers Friends Gig And The Memorable Comment Matthew Perry Made To Her On Her First Night Taping (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Prof. An Powlowski

Last Updated:

Views: 5872

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (44 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Prof. An Powlowski

Birthday: 1992-09-29

Address: Apt. 994 8891 Orval Hill, Brittnyburgh, AZ 41023-0398

Phone: +26417467956738

Job: District Marketing Strategist

Hobby: Embroidery, Bodybuilding, Motor sports, Amateur radio, Wood carving, Whittling, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Prof. An Powlowski, I am a charming, helpful, attractive, good, graceful, thoughtful, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.