Fringe star Jasika Nicole branded one of the show’s long-running jokes ‘tasteless,’ ‘bullying,’ and ‘racist’ in a series of tweets on Sunday.
The actress, 40, opened up about a number of uncomfortable experiences with the popular Fox series that ran from 2008 to 2013.
In addition to feeling like the set of the sci-fi drama ‘was not a safe space’ for her from the first day, the star acknowledged a long-running joke at her character’s expense.
Tough time: Fringe star Jasika Nicole claims she endured a ‘bullying and racist’ joke for five seasons on the hit series: ‘It wasn’t a safe space for me’ (pictured in February)
After a fan took to social media to express how much she enjoyed the relationship between Nicole’s character Astrid and Dr Walter Bishop (John Noble) and how he could never get her name right, the Alabama native pointed her issue with the joke.
‘As a black woman with a name that white people seem to find incredibly difficult to pronounce, sometimes knowingly using the wrong name for me, I always thought it was a pretty tasteless joke and hated that it lasted the whole 5 seasons of the show,’ she wrote last month.
She then told the fan, who apologized, that ‘most white people don’t do things to intentionally hurt the feelings of POC’ and thanked fans for listening and working on becoming more ‘aware.’
Fury: After a fan took to social media to express how much she enjoyed the relationship between Nicole’s character Astrid and Dr Walter Bishop (John Noble) and how he could never get her name right, the Alabama native pointed her issue with the joke
Opening up: In addition to feeling like the set of the sci-fi drama ‘was not a safe space’ for her from the first day, the 40-year-old actress acknowledged a long-running joke at her character’s expense
This exchange led her to expand more on the joke and pointed out how it feels ‘strange’ that the conversation is just getting traction after being vocal ‘for years.’
She, then, reiterated she never blamed her co-star, Noble, as ‘he was merely delivering the lines that were written for him.’
‘It actually took me a while to even recognize how upset the joke made me,’ she tweeted. ‘Spending a lifetime of trying to fit in and laugh WITH the white kids instead of being laughed AT was a coping mechanism that followed me into adulthood.’
Tweeting: In a series of tweets on Sunday, she addressed one of the show’s problematic jokes, which she referred to as ‘tasteless,’ ‘bullying,’ and ‘racist’
She continued: ‘But once I *could* articulate how frustrating the joke was, I couldn’t do anything with it- the show was not a safe space for me, literally from my first day on set.
Despite all six of her other cast members reportedly getting picked up for work, she alleged she was told she would not be getting rides, despite it being ‘customary for series regulars.’
‘Producer told me I was wrong, they weren’t getting rides, even though I would watch cast exit the transpo van each morning,’ she noted. ‘Thought I was losing my mind.’
More than just a joke: Despite all six other her other cast members reportedly getting picked up for work, she revealed she was told she would not be getting rides, which is ‘customary for series regulars’
She then described ‘begging’ her agents to believe her and not understanding why she was being ‘singled out.’
‘I took an hour and a half subway ride to work every day for weeks, then walked ten min to the studio as the van pulled up next to me, my cast mates in tow,’ she recalled.
Once that producer was fired, she revealed she ‘started getting rides to work like everyone else.’
Unfair treatment: Unfortunately, she found that the incident ‘set the stage for being treated differently than everyone else’
Unfortunately, she believes that the incident ‘set the stage for being treated differently than everyone else.’
‘We had directors (plural) who refused to get my name right. One insisted on referring to me as “you”, “that one” and pointing at me to give me a direction,’ she told her followers.’
Additionally, she wrote that ‘one simply refused to attempt to say my name correctly and called me everything he could think of but Jasika.’
In an attempt to help his co-star, the show show’s leading man attempted to step in by wearing a name tag with the phonetic spelling of her name because he knew the director would ‘pay attention to him.’
‘Josh was trying to use his power/clout for good,’ she said. ‘Still didn’t work.’
As to why she didn’t speak up on set, at the time, she ‘didn’t feel valued enough to think anyone would care.’
Fringe days: She clarified that while the ‘initial spirit of the joke’ was an indicator of Dr. Walter Bishop’s mental health, she assumed as Noble’s character became more ‘rooted to the present’ the jokes would ‘die out after the first few episodes’
She clarified that while the ‘initial spirit of the joke was an indicator of Dr. Walter Bishop’s mental health,’ she assumed as Noble’s character became more ‘rooted to the present’ it would ‘die out after the first few episodes.’
However, when it didn’t, which caused the joke to turn away ‘from him being incapable of remembering Astrid’s name to him being fully aware of who she is and just teasing her for fun.’
‘THAT part became bullying and racist,’ she concluded.
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Fox and Warner Bros. Television for comment.
Jasika has since been working on ABC’s The Good Doctor, but it was recently announced she may not returning as a series regular
New role: She has been working on ABC’s The Good Doctor, but it was recently announced she may not returning as a series regular