US star Gabrielle Union presents an episode of the popular sitcom "Friends" with a live reading with an all-black cast.
US actress Gabrielle Union (45, "10 things I hate about you") presented a kind of remake of the US hit series "Friends" (1994-2004) on Tuesday evening. An episode of the popular TV format will be shown as part of a live reading. The special thing about it: The texts by Rachel and Co. from the episode "The One Where No One's Ready" (Season 3) are only read by black actors.
Who speaks who?
And who speaks whom in the remake? As the US magazine "People" reports, actress Ryan Bathe (44) will be heard as Rachel Green. In the original, this role was played by Jennifer Aniston (51). Aisha Hinds (44) reads Monica Geller-Bing, the role of Courteney Cox (56). And Uzo Aduba (39) is Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan alias Lisa Kudrow (57).
The main male roles are voiced by Kendrick Sampson (32), Jeremy Pope (28) and "This is Us" star Sterling K. Brown (44). You slip into the roles of Matt LeBlanc (53), Matthew Perry (51) and David Schwimmer (53) – Joseph "Joey" Tribbiani, Chandler Bing and Ross Geller.
Gabrielle Union in the original
The fact that there were no black actors in the original series had been criticized louder and louder in recent years. US actress Aisha Tyler (50) was the first black artist to play a leading role in the ninth and tenth seasons. After all, reading host Gabrielle Union was seen in an episode before: "The One with the Cheap Wedding Dress" (season 7).
Reading for a good cause
The event is part of "Zoom Where It Happens". The aim of the live reading series, which is presented by black artists, is to mobilize voters for the upcoming US presidential election. The campaign started on September 8th and will continue with a rotating cast until election day on November 3rd, 2020. Among other things, an episode of the US series "Golden Girls" (1985-1992) had already been performed again in this way.