David Schwimmer says a Friends reboot should be 'all-black or all-Asian'

The actor, who played Ross on the iconic sitcom from 1994 to 2004, said that he had campaigned for greater diversity on the show during its run – and that he was aware that its lack of diversity had been a problem.

Speaking to The Guardian, Schwimmer said, “Maybe there should be an all-black Friends or an all-Asian Friends.

“I was well aware of the lack of diversity and I campaigned for years to have Ross date women of colour.

“One of the first girlfriends I had on the show was an Asian American woman, and later I dated African American women. That was a very conscious push on my part.”

While Friends has often attracted criticism for its lack of diversity, Schwimmer, who is Jewish, did praise the show’s treatment of Judaism – although he conceded that it wasn’t “earth-shattering or ground-breaking”.

“I for one was glad that we had at least one episode where it wasn’t just about Christmas,” he said. “It was also Hanukkah and, even though I played the Hanukkah armadillo, I was glad that we at least acknowledged the differences in religious observation.”

While no Friends reboot is on the cards as things stand, an updated, more diverse version of the show would be sure to get things talking.

Lat November it was reported that a Friends reunion was in the works, with the show's six stars all having allegedly been in talks with HBO regarding a one-off special.

But Schwimmer seemed to dispel the rumours of a return for the sitcom, saying, “I just don't think it's possible, given everyone's different career trajectories," he said.

"I think everyone feels the same – why mess with what felt like the right way to end the series?

"I don't want to do anything for the money. It would have to make sense creatively and nothing I've heard so far, presented to us, makes sense."