Gabrielle Union to host an all-Black cast reading of ‘Friends’ starring Sterling K. Brown, Uzo Aduba and more

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Gabrielle Union is helping to reimagine the popular sitcom Friends for a more diverse generation.

On Monday it was announced that Union will host an all-Black cast reading of Friends featuring Sterling K. Brown, Ryan Bathe, Uzo Aduba, Aisha Hinds, Kendrick Sampson, and Jeremy Pope. The virtual event will take place on Tuesday, September 22 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET at Zoom Where It Happens.

Directed by Salli Richardson-Whitfield, the table read will create awareness for When We All Vote, a non-partisan voter registration organization. It comes on the heels of the popular Golden Girls all-Black table read on September 8, which starred Regina King, Tracee Ellis Ross, Alfre Woodard, and Sanaa Lathan.

It has not yet been revealed which actor will play which cast member or the episode the group will be reading.

This is not the first time an all-Black Friends casting has been done. In 2017, Jay-Z reimagined an all-Black Friends cast in his “Moonlight” music video which starred Jerrod Carmichael, Issa Rae, Tiffany Haddish, Tessa Thompson, LaKeith Stanfield and Lil Rel Howery. Instead of using the show’s memorable theme song, The Rembrandt’s “I’ll Be There For You,” Jay-Z used Whodini’s classic 1984 track “Friends.”

To RSVP and watch the reading, go to mobilize.us.