Kathleen Turner reflects on her cringey trans role on ‘Friends’: “Of course I wouldn’t do it now”

As beloved and successful as Friends was—and still is—it’s just not a show that’s going to hold up to modern viewing standards or inclusivity and representation.

Case in point: One of Chandler’s (Matthew Perry) parents was a drag performer, since confirmed by series creator Marta Kauffman to be a trans woman, despite frequently being referred to as a man by the show’s characters. And they were played by cis actress Kathleen Turner.

In a new interview with The Guardian, the legendary star reflects on her decade-spanning career, and touches on the controversial recurring role in the NBC sitcom.

Asked about taking the role, Turner says that there was “no question” over casting a trans woman (“or drag queen”) instead of her—it’s simply something the show never considered at the time.

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“It never crossed my mind that I was taking a role from someone,” she adds.

In the show, Turner’s character was often referred to by their deadname, Charles, and was shown to have a successful drag show called Viva Las Gaygas, for which they performed under the stage name Helena Handbasket (not the point here, but that is an excellent name for a queen, you have to admit).

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Chandler’s parent—who last appeared in a 2001 episode—was the subject of a number of jokes about their gender and sexuality, many of which read as blatantly transphobic today. Chandler could barely even stand to watch her perform, gagging when she stepped on stage in the episode titled “The One With Chandler’s Father.”

When the interviewer pressed Turner on whether or not she’d take the role if she were offered today, she responded: “Probably not. But I certainly don’t regret having taken it. It was a challenge!”

Related: China is censoring all the gayness out of ‘Friends’ because of course

This wasn’t the first time Turner’s been asked about her time on Friends. In a 2019 visit to Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, a fan called in to ask the actress how much she “loved” guesting on the sitcom.

“Of course I wouldn’t do it now because there would be real people able to do it,” Turner responded.

The star also previously spoke with Gay Times about the role, saying she didn’t think it “aged well,” adding, “it was a 30 minute sitcom. It became a phenomenon, but no one ever took it seriously as a social comment.”

Among those who agree that certain aspects of the show haven’t aged well is series creator Kauffman, who has frequently expressed her regret over the way certain topics and themes were handled.

In a retrospective interview with USA Today, she even expressed that Friends‘ handling of transgender characters—particularly Chandler’s parent—was the main thing she’d change if she were to make the show today.

“I think we didn’t have the knowledge about transgender people back then, so I’m not sure if we used the appropriate terms,” Kauffman admitted. “I don’t know if I would have known those terms back then. Every time I watch an episode, there’s something I wish I could have changed.”

Now over 25 years old, the classic sitcom continues to air re-runs and stream on HBO Max, where it attracts tons of fans, old and new. Popular as ever, this is not the first time—nor will it be the last—that aspects of Friends are called into question.

Related: One of the ‘Friends’ main cast was supposed to be gay