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Friends
Background:
"I've made a good amount of money. I'm very happy that I can now support my
theatre company and support friends and family, and I'm ready to maybe go back
to school and change careers." David Schwimmer
American actor, producer, director David Schwimmer gained worldwide fame for
portraying insightful, desperate, loving and geeky paleontologist Ross Geller in
the popular television sitcom "Friends" (1994-2004), in which he nabbed a Screen
Actor Guild award and earned a nomination at the Emmys. He formerly gained
notice after playing the recurring role of Olivia d'Abo's hippie fiancé in "The
Wonder Years" (1991-1992), and won praise for his good acting as a
lawyer-turned-vigilante in "NYPD Blue" (1993). In more recent films, Schwimmer
took home a Golden Satellite award for his scene stealing Capt. Herbert Sobel in
the Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks television production "Band of
Brothers"(2001). His wide screen film credits include the comedy The Pallbearer
(1996), Breast Men (1997), Kissing a Fool (1998, also produced), Six Days Seven
Nights (1998), the thriller Apt Pupil (1998), All the Rage (1999), Picking Up
the Pieces (2000), Duane Hopwood (2005) and the animated film Madagascar (2005,
voice).
David Schwimmer recently made his debut on the London stage with Neil LaBute's
production of "Some Girls," alongside Catherine Tate, Saffron Burrows, Sara
Powell and Lesley Manville. He has also performed in such plays as "West," "The
Odyssey," "Of One Blood," "In the Eye of the Beholder" and "The Master and
Margarita," as well as directed several productions, including "The Jungle,"
"The Serpent" and "Alice in Wonderland."
Boyishly good-looking, Schwimmer is rumored to have found his new love,
France-born actress Emmanuelle Perret, while making his West End debut in
London. The couple was caught cavorting and sharing romantic moments as they
strolled through the city park. He was previously romantically involved with
British beauty Nicole Miller after his romance with sexy Hawaiian model Rochelle
Sanchez Ovitt ended. Schwimmer was also linked to New York rock babe Gina Lee,
Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia (dated from 1996 to 1997), Law Clerk Sarah
Trimble (dated from 1993 to 1996) and Israeli-born actress Mili Avital (met
while filming Kissing a Fool).
Snaro
Childhood and Family:
In Astoria, New York, David Schwimmer was born on November 12, 1966, but grew up
in Southern California. His parents, Arthur Schwimmer and Arlene Coleman-Schwimmer,
are attorneys who briefly influenced David to follow in their footsteps to
become a lawyer. He is the younger brother of Ellie Schwimmer (born 1965).
Sometimes credited as Snaro, young David was educated at the famous Beverly
Hills High School. During his high school years, he attended a summer program in
acting at Chicago’s Northwestern University following the advice of a school
instructor. Discovering that acting was his calling, David went back to
Northwestern upon high school graduation and completed his B.S. degree in
speech/theater in 1988. He then flew back to Los Angeles to pursue acting.
Off screen, tall, dark-haired and lanky David owns houses in Chicago and Los
Angeles. During his of time, he loves writing and taking parts in sports like
basketball and softball.
Band of Brothers
Career:
First appearing as the fairy godmother in a Jewish version of "Cinderella" when
he was 11, David Schwimmer developed a love for acting after he attended a
summer program in Chicago. After receiving a bachelor's degree in speech/theater
and getting his feet wet in several plays in a Chicago Theater, Schwimmer
directly co-founded Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre Company with seven other
Northwestern graduates, including best friend & fellow actor Joey Slotnick. He
then moved back to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. In 1989, Schwimmer
landed his first onscreen role as a killer in the ABC’s television movie A
Deadly Silence (1989), but he then decided to fly back to Chicago to work in
theater. With the troupe, he acted in numerous productions like "West," "The
Odyssey," "Of One Blood," "In the Eye of the Beholder" and "The Master and
Margarita," as well as directed such plays as "The Jungle," "The Serpent" and
"Alice in Wonderland."
In 1991, the young actor made his second attempt to break into Hollywood with
his feature-acting debut in the war film Flight of the Intruder (1991), starring
Danny Glover and Willem Dafoe. Playing the recurring role of Olivia d'Abo's
hippie sweetheart, Michael, in ABC comedy series, "The Wonder Years"
(1991-1992), Schwimmer began to receive notice. His next film exposure arrived
in 1992 when he was cast in the small role of John Anderson in Mike Binder’s
comedy Crossing the Bridge. That same year, Schwimmer had a recurring role as an
attorney in the NBC drama series "L.A. Law," but his first brush toward stardom
came a year later when he played the recurring role of a vigilante neighbor of
detective Kelly’s ex-wife in the ABC drama series "NYPD Blue" (1993). Delivering
a good performance, Schwimmer earned positive reviews from critics.
After a string of small roles in the wide screen movies The Waiter (1993), The
Pitch (1993), Twenty Bucks (1993) and Wolf (1994), Schwimmer returned to TV to
play series’ regular Greg Richardson in the short-lived Fox sitcom "Monty"
(1994, opposite Henry Winkler). Following the immediate cancellation of the
show, Schwimmer made up his mind not to do another comedy series next time.
However, his big breakthrough arrived when Schwimmer eventually accepted the
role of sensitive, hopeless-romantic Ross Geller in the NBC ensemble comedy
series "Friends" (1994), a role that the creators of the show wrote especially
for him. His lovable, nerd-character combined with the huge success of the
series, helped catapult his career and soon made him a star. Additionally, the
role garnered him a Screen Actor Guild for Outstanding Ensemble Performance in a
Comedy Series, as well as earned him an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting
Actor in a Comedy Series. Schwimmer remained working with the other cast members
until its final episode, which was aired on May 10, 2004. During his long-term
stint, he also directed several episodes of the show.
He followed the triumph with a non-exclusive, multi-picture contract with
Miramax to star in three films and an opportunity to star/or direct the fourth.
In 1996, Schwimmer landed his first starring role in a big screen movie when
director Matt Reeves cast him as a virtual clone of Ross in his comedy film The
Pallbearer. The film also starred Gwyneth Paltrow and Barbara Hershey.
Working with writer/director Tom Hodges, Schwimmer produced the short film Shoot
the Moon (1996). He then paired with Chris Cooper to portray young doctors who
invented silicon breast implants in the comedy Breast Men (1997), joined Friends
costar Jennifer Anniston in the comedy The Thin Pink Line (1998), produced and
starred in Kissing a Fool (1998), acted in and directed the made-for television
film Since You've Been Gone (1998), found himself acting with Harrison Ford and
Anne Heche in the adventure Six Days Seven Nights (1998), appeared as Edward
French in the thriller Apt Pupil (1998) and played the supporting role of Chris
in the drama All the Rage (1999).
Schwimmer opened the new millennium by making a cameo appearance in Love & Sex
(2000) and was featured as Leo Jerome in the comedy Picking Up the Pieces (2000,
starring Woody Allen and Sharon Stone). In 2001, he turned heads again for his
brilliant performance as Capt. Herbert Sobel in the HBO miniseries "Band of
Brothers" (2001), for which he netted a Golden Satellite for Best Performance by
an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made
for Television. The war film starred Damian Lewis, Donnie Wahlberg and Ron
Livingston. He also appeared in Mike Figgis’ comedy Hotel (2001) and costarred
in the NBC television movie Uprising (2001). Back in the director’s chair in
2004, Schwimmer helmed several episodes of the Friends’ spin-off "Joey,"
starring Matt LeBlanc.
The actor recently played the title character in the comedy/drama Duane Hopwood
(2005, directed by Matt Mulhern) and provided the voice for Melman in the
animated film Madagascar (2005). He also made his West End theatrical debut by
playing the role of Man, alongside Catherine Tate, Saffron Burrows, Sara Powell,
and Lesley Manville, in Neil LaBute's play "Some Girls" at the Geilgud Theatre
in London. Schwimmer will soon star opposite Werner Herzog and Richard Kind in
an untitled Zak Penn Project (2005) and is set to play a role in the comedy Run,
Fat Boy, Run (2006, also serves as a director).
Awards:
