If one were to base one's judgment of David Schwimmer's talent on his
low-key performance as the anxious, awkward but lovable paleontologist Ross
on NBC's smash hit comedy Friends, one might never suspect that beneath the
affable exterior lies a versatile, multi-talented actor and filmmaker.
Tall, dark-haired, and lanky, Schwimmer was born in
Queens, but later raised in Southern California, where he attended the famed
Beverly Hills High School. He then enrolled in Chicago's Northwestern
University, where he briefly considered pursuing his family's traditional
profession and becoming a lawyer, but by that time, the acting bug had
bitten him deeply and he was committed to it. Following graduation from
Northwestern, Schwimmer gained enough stage experience in Chicago theater to
co-found the Lookingglass Theatre Company with fellow actors. Schwimmer
remains passionate about his involvement with the troupe and has starred in
or directed many of their productions.
In 1989, he made the first of several attempts to break
into Hollywood, when he was cast as a killer in the made-for-TV thriller A
Deadly Silence. It was apparently an unpleasant experience and the young actor
hastened back to the familiarity of Lookingglass. Still, the lure of Hollywood
was great and Schwimmer returned to guest star and play recurring roles on
several television series. One of his best-known early TV roles was that of
Olivia D'Abo's hippie fiancé on The Wonder Years. On the gritty crime drama
NYPD Blue, he garnered critical acclaim for his portrayal of a lawyer who goes
over the edge and becomes a vigilante. He had another bad television
experience when he was cast opposite Henry Winkler in Fox's sitcom Monty. The
series crashed before it got off the ground and Schwimmer swore he'd never do
another comedy show. Up until 1994, he continued to play a wide variety of
roles and to divide his time between stage and television.
Despite his earlier vow, Schwimmer reluctantly accepted the
role of Ross in Friends, a role that the show's creators wrote especially for
him. The series, about a group of good-looking, but rather aimless buddies in
their twenties, was an immediate hit and Schwimmer's lovable nerd character
made him a star and got him an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a
Comedy Series
With his newfound stardom came offers for feature film
roles. Though he had actually begun appearing in films in 1990, he had, thus
far, played only small roles. He made his debut as a star playing a virtual
clone of Ross in the Pallbearer (1996). He played a dramatic role as one of
the inventors of silicon breast implants in the made-for-television docudrama
Breast Men (1997). Schwimmer signed a lucrative contract with Miramax that
will not only star him in several pictures, but also allow him to direct.
Role:
Ross Geller
