Hollywood actor Zoë Kravitz has made it clear that while she loves many things about the ’90s, the homophobia that seeped into so much of its pop culture is something best left behind. In a recent conversation while promoting her upcoming film Caught Stealing, the 36-year-old actor recalled the excitement of revisiting the era, but stopped short at what she described as “super homophobic jokes on mainstream television.”
She singled out the popular American sitcom Friends in particular. “If you watch Friends now you’re like, ‘Whoa’,” she said.
Her co-star Austin Butler appeared surprised at the remark, asking, “Wow, even in Friends?” But Zoe didn’t hesitate. “Oh, so much in Friends. Like, things that aren’t punchlines are punchlines. It’s wild. So maybe that? We can keep that there,” she added. Austin, still reeling, could only respond, “That’s crazy,” before agreeing with her conclusion: “Yeah, keep that in the ’90s!”
The broader conversation about Friends has been ongoing for years. Co-creator Marta Kauffman even admitted in 2019 that she often cringes at jokes and storylines that made it to air, telling USA Today, “Every time I watch an episode, there’s something I wish I could have changed.” Meanwhile, actor David Schwimmer, who played the role of Ross Geller for 10 seasons, defended the series in 2020, reminding The Guardian that, for its time, the show was “groundbreaking” in its depiction of gay marriage and relationships, even if some material has not aged well.
The nostalgia they both share is tied to Darren Aronofsky’s new crime caper, which takes place in 1998 New York City. Zoe described filming as “so fun,” saying, “I’m really nostalgic for that time. Then also the fashion, all that stuff’s so cool. New York City and the grunge. … It’s a good time.” Austin too, echoed the sentiment, pointing to little details from the set that brought the decade back to life—like seeing a Nintendo 64 loaded with GoldenEye. “Even just being in the apartment (on set) and seeing the Nintendo 64 on top of the TV. We had the GoldenEye (video game), I saw that,” he said, adding that he even misses “not having cell phones” all the time. Zoe chimed in with a laugh, recalling her own relic from the shoot: “Or my cell phone was that Nokia brick thing.”
