David Lawrence Schwimmer
(born November 2, 1966)
is an American actor, director and producer. He gained worldwide recognition for portraying
Ross Geller
Ross Geller, portrayed by David Schwimmer, is one of the six main characters of the NBC sitcom ''Friends''. Ross is considered by many to be the most intelligent member of the group and is noted for his goofy but lovable demeanor. His relatio ...
in the sitcom ''
Friends'', for which he received a
Screen Actors Guild Award and a
Primetime Emmy Award nomination for
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1995. While still acting in ''Friends'', his first leading film role was in ''
The Pallbearer
''The Pallbearer'' is a 1996 American romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Matt Reeves in his directorial debut and starring David Schwimmer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Toni Collette, Michael Vartan, Michael Rapaport, and Barbara Hershey. It wa ...
'' (1996), followed by roles in ''
Kissing a Fool
''Kissing a Fool'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Doug Ellin. It primarily stars David Schwimmer, Jason Lee, Mili Avital, Kari Wührer, and Vanessa Angel. Schwimmer was one of the executive producers.
Plot
Max (David Schwi ...
'', ''
Six Days, Seven Nights
''Six Days, Seven Nights'' is a 1998 American action-adventure comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Harrison Ford and Anne Heche. The screenplay was written by Michael Browning. It was filmed on location in Kauai, and released on ...
'', ''
Apt Pupil
''Apt Pupil'' (1982) is a novella by Stephen King, originally published in the 1982 novella collection ''Different Seasons'', subtitled "Summer of Corruption".
Format of the story
''Apt Pupil'' consists of 30 chapters, many of which are headed by ...
'' (all 1998), and ''
Picking Up the Pieces'' (2000). He was then cast in the miniseries ''
Band of Brothers'' (2001) as
Herbert Sobel
Herbert Maxwell Sobel Sr. (26 January 1912 – 30 September 1987) was an American commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Sobel was portraye ...
.
Schwimmer began his acting career performing in school plays at
Beverly Hills High School
Beverly Hills High School (usually abbreviated as Beverly or as BHHS) is the only major public high school in Beverly Hills, California. The other public high school in Beverly Hills, Moreno High School, is a small alternative school located on B ...
. In 1988, he graduated from
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
with a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
in theater and speech. After graduation, Schwimmer co-founded the
Lookingglass Theatre Company
Lookingglass Theatre Company is a non-profit theater company in Chicago, Illinois.
History
Lookingglass was founded in 1988 by David Schwimmer, David Catlin, Eva Barr, Thom Cox, Lawrence DiStasi, Joy Gregory, David Kersnar, and Andy White. The co ...
. For much of the late 1980s, he lived in Los Angeles as a struggling, unemployed actor, until he starred in the television movie ''A Deadly Silence'' in 1989 and appeared in a number of television roles in the early 1990s, including ''
L.A. Law
''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994.
Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...
'', ''
The Wonder Years
''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age comedy/drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black. It ran on ABC from January 31, 1988, until May 12, 1993. The series premiered immediately after ABC's coverage of Super ...
'', ''
NYPD Blue'', and ''
Monty
Monty is a masculine given name, often a short form of Montgomery, Montague and other similar names. It is also a surname.
Notable people with the name or nickname include:
First name Nickname
* Bernard Montgomery (1887–1976), British Secon ...
''.
After the series finale of ''Friends'' in 2004, Schwimmer branched out into film and stage work. He was cast as the title character in the 2005 drama film ''
Duane Hopwood
''Duane Hopwood'' is a 2005 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Matt Mulhern, and starring David Schwimmer, Janeane Garofalo, Judah Friedlander, John Krasinski and Steve Schirripa. After being featured in the Sundance Film Festiv ...
'', and voiced
Melman the Giraffe in the computer-animated
''Madagascar'' film franchise, acted in the dark comedy ''
Big Nothing'' (2006), and the thriller ''
Nothing but the Truth'' (2008). Schwimmer made his
West End stage debut in the leading role in 2005's ''
Some Girl(s)
''Some Girl(s)'' is a play written by Neil LaBute about a man only identified as "Guy" who is about to get married. Before his wedding, he decides to visit his ex-girlfriends, all of whom he mistreated. His exes include: Sam, his former high scho ...
''. He made his
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
debut in ''
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
''The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'' is a two-act play, of the courtroom drama type, that was dramatized for the stage by Herman Wouk, which he adapted from his own 1951 novel, '' The Caine Mutiny''.
Wouk's novel covered a long stretch of time ...
'' in 2006. His feature film directorial debut followed in 2007 with the comedy ''
Run Fatboy Run
''Run Fatboy Run'' is a 2007 comedy film directed by David Schwimmer, written by Michael Ian Black and Simon Pegg, and starring Pegg, Dylan Moran, Thandiwe Newton, Harish Patel, India de Beaufort and Hank Azaria. It was released in the United ...
'', and the following year he made his
Off-Broadway directorial debut in ''Fault Lines''.
In 2016, he starred as lawyer
Robert Kardashian
Robert George Kardashian (February 22, 1944 – September 30, 2003) was an American attorney and businessman. He gained recognition as O. J. Simpson's friend and defense attorney during Simpson's 1995 murder trial. He had four children with h ...
in ''
The People v. O. J. Simpson'', for which he received his second Primetime Emmy Award nomination, this time for
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
Early life
Schwimmer was born in
Flushing, Queens,
New York City, to attorneys Arthur (born 1941) and Arlene Coleman-Schwimmer (born 1940).
His family is
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
. He has an older sister named Ellie (born 1965).
His family subsequently moved to Los Angeles, where Schwimmer, at 10, had his first acting experience when he was cast as the fairy godmother in a Jewish version of ''
Cinderella
"Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
''.
In 1979, Schwimmer went to a Shakespeare workshop given by English actor Sir
Ian McKellen in Los Angeles.
He recalls being riveted by the experience.
Schwimmer then entered a contest in the Southern California Shakespeare Festival three years in a row, winning two first prizes.
Following his mother's successful career as a divorce lawyer, the family moved to
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...
, where Schwimmer attended
Beverly Hills High School
Beverly Hills High School (usually abbreviated as Beverly or as BHHS) is the only major public high school in Beverly Hills, California. The other public high school in Beverly Hills, Moreno High School, is a small alternative school located on B ...
.
His classmates included actor
Jonathan Silverman
Jonathan Elihu Silverman (born August 5, 1966) is an American actor, known for his roles in the comedy films ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'', ''Weekend at Bernie's'', and its sequel ''Weekend at Bernie's II''.
Early life and education
Silverman was ...
. Schwimmer admitted to being an outsider during his time at the school, recalling, "When I was there I always felt: 'This is not me, I'm surrounded by people with a different value system. And I just wanted to get out of California.'"
His best subjects were science and math and he thought he would become a doctor.
Schwimmer enrolled in a drama class, where he appeared in stage productions. Encouraged by his school drama teacher to further his acting, he flew to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
for a summer acting program at
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
. He noted that the experience was both "enlightening and exhilarating".
In 1984, Schwimmer graduated from Beverly Hills High and wanted to go straight into acting, but his parents insisted he go to college first so he would have something to fall back on.
Schwimmer enrolled in Northwestern University, where he had attended the summer acting program earlier.
At the university, he studied theater and was in an improv group with
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program '' The Colbert Report'' from 2005 ...
, the No-Fun Mud Piranhas. After graduating in 1988, with a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
degree in theater and speech, Schwimmer co-founded the
Lookingglass Theatre Company
Lookingglass Theatre Company is a non-profit theater company in Chicago, Illinois.
History
Lookingglass was founded in 1988 by David Schwimmer, David Catlin, Eva Barr, Thom Cox, Lawrence DiStasi, Joy Gregory, David Kersnar, and Andy White. The co ...
.
Subsequently, he returned to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.
Career
1989–1994: Early work
After his supporting role debut in the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
television movie ''A Deadly Silence'' (1989), Schwimmer followed this with roles on the legal drama ''
L.A. Law
''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994.
Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...
'' in 1992, and the comedy-drama series ''
The Wonder Years
''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age comedy/drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black. It ran on ABC from January 31, 1988, until May 12, 1993. The series premiered immediately after ABC's coverage of Super ...
''.
He made his feature film debut in ''
Flight of the Intruder'' (1991),
had a recurring role as a lawyer-turned-vigilante in ''
NYPD Blue'' before auditioning, unsuccessfully, for a series pilot called ''Couples''.
He landed his first regular series role as the liberal son of a conservative talk show host (
Henry Winkler) in the sitcom ''
Monty
Monty is a masculine given name, often a short form of Montgomery, Montague and other similar names. It is also a surname.
Notable people with the name or nickname include:
First name Nickname
* Bernard Montgomery (1887–1976), British Secon ...
''.
1994–2004: Breakthrough
![David Schwimmer 2005 Madagascar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/David_Schwimmer_2005_Madagascar.jpg)
In 1994, Schwimmer was cast as
Ross Geller
Ross Geller, portrayed by David Schwimmer, is one of the six main characters of the NBC sitcom ''Friends''. Ross is considered by many to be the most intelligent member of the group and is noted for his goofy but lovable demeanor. His relatio ...
in
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
's situation comedy ''
Friends'', a series that revolved around a group of friends who live near each other in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
. He played a hopeless-romantic
paleontologist
Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...
who works at a museum and later becomes a professor at a university. Schwimmer initially turned down the role as Ross, but accepted later.
Executive producer
Kevin S. Bright said that he had previously worked with Schwimmer, the character of Ross was written with him in mind, and he was the first actor cast.
The show debuted on September 22, 1994, and was watched by almost 22 million American viewers. ''Friends'' quickly developed a loyal audience, with the show and Schwimmer receiving strong reviews. The ''
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the Alle ...
'' was complimentary of Schwimmer, calling him "terrific". ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''
's television reviewer said: "All six of the principals, especially (Courteney) Cox and Schwimmer, appear resourceful and display sharp sitcom skills". For this performance, he earned a
Primetime Emmy Award nomination for
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1995.
Schwimmer starred in his first leading film role in the 1996 romantic comedy film, ''
The Pallbearer
''The Pallbearer'' is a 1996 American romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Matt Reeves in his directorial debut and starring David Schwimmer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Toni Collette, Michael Vartan, Michael Rapaport, and Barbara Hershey. It wa ...
'' with
Gwyneth Paltrow.
In the film, Schwimmer plays a man asked to deliver the eulogy for a high school friend he cannot remember, and begins an affair with the friend's mother. Critics dismissed ''The Pallbearer'' as a poor imitation of the 1967 film ''
The Graduate
''The Graduate'' is a 1967 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols and written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from W ...
''. ''Variety''
's film reviewer complimented the actor, writing that he had enjoyed his performance, stating that he displayed "a winning, if rather deadpan, personality along with good comic timing".
It also concluded that Schwimmer had a "promising bigscreen future".
Janet Maslin
Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for ''The New York Times''. She served as a ''Times'' film critic from 1977 to 1999 and as a book critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000 Maslin ...
of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' cited that his first film "relegates him to a drab role".
When asked why he decided to accept the role, Schwimmer admitted the decision was to "make an effort to find roles that are as far away from the character of Ross as possible."
He was offered a role to star alongside
Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones (born September 15, 1946) is an American actor and film director. He has received four Academy Award nominations, winning Best Supporting Actor for his performance as U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard in the 1993 thriller film '' The ...
in the 1997 science-fiction comedy ''
Men in Black
In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are purported men dressed in black suits who claim to be quasi- government agents, who harass, threaten, or sometimes even assassinate unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesse ...
'' after
Chris O'Donnell
Christopher Eugene O'Donnell (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor and former model. He played Charlie Sims in '' Scent of a Woman'', Chris Reece in ''School Ties'', D'Artagnan in ''The Three Musketeers'', Jack Foley in the drama film '' ...
turned down the role, but turned it down because of a prior commitment to direct his first film with his theatre company friends starring before the role was given to
Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom '' The Fresh ...
.
His next film roles, in 1998, were ''
Kissing a Fool
''Kissing a Fool'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Doug Ellin. It primarily stars David Schwimmer, Jason Lee, Mili Avital, Kari Wührer, and Vanessa Angel. Schwimmer was one of the executive producers.
Plot
Max (David Schwi ...
'', ''
Six Days, Seven Nights
''Six Days, Seven Nights'' is a 1998 American action-adventure comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Harrison Ford and Anne Heche. The screenplay was written by Michael Browning. It was filmed on location in Kauai, and released on ...
'', and ''
Apt Pupil
''Apt Pupil'' (1982) is a novella by Stephen King, originally published in the 1982 novella collection ''Different Seasons'', subtitled "Summer of Corruption".
Format of the story
''Apt Pupil'' consists of 30 chapters, many of which are headed by ...
''. In ''Kissing a Fool'', a romantic comedy, Schwimmer played Max, a dapper, smart-mouthed ladies' man.
Mick LaSalle
Mick is a masculine given name, usually a short form ( hypocorism) of Michael. Because of its popularity in Ireland, it is often used in England as a derogatory term for an Irish person or a person of Irish descent. In Australia the meaning broad ...
of the ''
San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The ...
'' wrote, "Fans of the sitcom ''Friends'' may be surprised by David Schwimmer in ''Kissing a Fool''.
..Take it from someone who has never seen ''Friends'' and comes at Schwimmer with no preconceptions: He does just fine. As a TV sports reporter in ''Kissing a Fool'', he oozes the command and self-satisfaction of a young, successful man."
The film was critically and financially unsuccessful. In ''Six Days, Seven Nights'', he played the boyfriend of
Anne Heche's character. In ''Apt Pupil'', adapted from a
novella of the same name by
Stephen King, he had a supporting role as a school guidance counselor. "I was scared of the part", Schwimmer said, "but I wanted to be part of the movie". At the time, he noted it was a "little frustrating" that people would typecast him due to his role on ''Friends''. He subsequently appeared opposite
Woody Allen
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
and
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. Known for primarily playing femme fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the recipient of various ...
in
Alfonso Arau
Alfonso Arau Incháustegui (born 11 January 1932) is a Mexican filmmaker, actor, and singer. He worked as an actor and director in both Mexican and Hollywood productions for over 40 years, before his international breakthrough with the 1992 fil ...
's straight-to-cable comedy ''
Picking Up the Pieces'' (2000).
In 2001, Schwimmer played
Captain Herbert M. Sobel in
Steven Spielberg and
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
'
HBO World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
miniseries ''
Band of Brothers''. The television miniseries is based on the book of the same title written by historian and biographer
Stephen Ambrose
Stephen Edward Ambrose (January 10, 1936 – October 13, 2002) was an American historian, most noted for his biographies of U.S. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. He was a longtime professor of history at the University of New O ...
. Although ''Band of Brothers'' was met with largely positive reception, Schwimmer's performance was criticized; the
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
concluded, "Part of the problem ... may have been the ridiculous fact that ''Friends'' favourite David Schwimmer plays the hard and cruel Captain Herbert Sobel. The only thing believable about Schwimmer's acting is when he cowers in the face of true battle. His puppy dog eyes make him appear even more pitiful." Later that year he portrayed
Yitzhak Zuckerman
Yitzhak Zuckerman ( pl, Icchak Cukierman; he, יצחק צוקרמן; 13 December 1915 – 17 June 1981), also known by his nom de guerre "Antek", was one of the leaders of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943 against Nazi Germany during World Wa ...
in the war drama ''
Uprising
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
'', based on the true events of the
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising; pl, powstanie w getcie warszawskim; german: link=no, Aufstand im Warschauer Ghetto was the 1943 act of Jewish resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto in German-occupied Poland during World War II to oppose Nazi Germany' ...
in 1943.
In March 2004, Schwimmer appeared as himself on HBO's comedy series ''
Curb Your Enthusiasm''. During the lengthy run of ''Friends'', Schwimmer directed ten of the show's episodes.
The show's tenth and final season ended on May 6, 2004.
2004–2010: Directing
![David Schwimmer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/David_Schwimmer.jpg)
After ''Friends'', Schwimmer starred in the 2005 independent drama ''
Duane Hopwood
''Duane Hopwood'' is a 2005 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Matt Mulhern, and starring David Schwimmer, Janeane Garofalo, Judah Friedlander, John Krasinski and Steve Schirripa. After being featured in the Sundance Film Festiv ...
'', as the title character, who is an alcoholic whose life is spiraling downward rapidly after a divorce and is looking to turn his life around. The film received ambivalent reviews. Despite the reception, Schwimmer's performance was favored by critics;
Roger Ebert of the ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago ...
'' reported that the role was Schwimmer's "career-transforming performance." ''Duane Hopwood'' was screened at a special presentation at the 2005
Sundance Film Festival. Furthermore, in the same year he voiced
Melman Melman or ''variant'', may refer to:
People
* Seymour Melman (1917–2004), American professor of industrial engineering and operations research
* Jeff Melman, American television producer and director
* Calvert DeForest, American actor whose st ...
, a
hypochondriac
Hypochondriasis or hypochondria is a condition in which a person is excessively and unduly worried about having a serious illness. An old concept, the meaning of hypochondria has repeatedly changed. It has been claimed that this debilitating cond ...
giraffe, in the
computer animated
Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes ( still images) and dynamic images ( moving images), while computer animation re ...
film ''
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
'' (2005). ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' noted that Schwimmer is particularly appealing as Melman. Despite the mixed response from critics, the film was a commercial success, earning US$532 million worldwide, making it one of the biggest hits of 2005.
Schwimmer starred on the London stage in May 2005, with
Catherine Tate
Catherine Jane Ford (born 5 December 1969), known professionally as Catherine Tate, is an English actress, comedian and writer. She has won numerous awards for her work on the BBC sketch comedy series '' The Catherine Tate Show'' (2004–2007) ...
,
Lesley Manville
Lesley Ann Manville (born 12 March 1956) is an English actress known for her frequent collaborations with Mike Leigh, appearing in the films '' Grown-Ups'' (1980), '' High Hopes'' (1988), '' Secrets & Lies'' (1996), ''Topsy-Turvy'' (1999), ''A ...
,
Sara Powell
Sara Powell (born 23 June 1968) is a British-Jamaican stage, screen and voice-over actress and audiobook narrator. Her regular television roles include crown prosecutor Rachel Barker in the BBC's police procedural drama ''HolbyBlue'' (2007–20 ...
, and
Saffron Burrows
Saffron Domini Burrows (born 22 October 1972) is an English actress and model who has appeared in films such as '' Circle of Friends,'' ''Wing Commander,'' '' Deep Blue Sea,'' ''Gangster No. 1,'' ''Enigma,'' ''Troy,'' ''Reign Over Me'' and '' Th ...
, in
Neil LaBute
Neil N. LaBute (born March 19, 1963) is an American playwright, film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is best-known for a play that he wrote and later adapted for film, '' In the Company of Men'' (1997), which won awards from the Sundance F ...
's ''
Some Girl(s)
''Some Girl(s)'' is a play written by Neil LaBute about a man only identified as "Guy" who is about to get married. Before his wedding, he decides to visit his ex-girlfriends, all of whom he mistreated. His exes include: Sam, his former high scho ...
'' at the
Gielgud Theatre
The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, at the corner of Rupert Street, in the City of Westminster, London. The house currently has 986 seats on three levels.
The theatre was designed by W. G. R. Sprague and ...
. In the production, he plays a teacher who is ready to settle down and marry, but decides to visit four ex-girlfriends first. For his performance, Schwimmer received critical reviews. ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' wrote that Schwimmer "is not called upon to extend his range nearly as far as one might have expected in ''Some Girl(s).''
..Schwimmer remains bland, competent, and boyish—though not fatally boyish in the manner that appears to have turned these women on."
However,
Charles Spencer of ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was f ...
'' praised Schwimmer, reporting he "proves inspired casting. He takes to the stage with ... his endearing gaucheness seems designed to ensure our continued sympathy. Schwimmer mercilessly lays bare his character's opportunism, casual cruelties, and chronic self-deception."
In 2006, he made his
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
debut in
Herman Wouk
Herman Wouk ( ; May 27, 1915 – May 17, 2019) was an American author best known for historical fiction such as ''The Caine Mutiny'' (1951) for which he won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction.
His other major works include ''The Winds of War'' and ...
's two-act play ''
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
''The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'' is a two-act play, of the courtroom drama type, that was dramatized for the stage by Herman Wouk, which he adapted from his own 1951 novel, '' The Caine Mutiny''.
Wouk's novel covered a long stretch of time ...
''. Schwimmer played the role of Lieutenant Barney Greenwald in the production, which was directed by
Jerry Zaks
Jerry Zaks (born September 7, 1946) is an American stage and television director, and actor. He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play and Drama Desk Award for directing ''The House of Blue Leaves'', ''Lend Me a Tenor'', and ''Six Degre ...
. In an interview with ''
New York'' magazine, he revealed that he had wanted to try Broadway, however said "a couple of things came up that just never quite felt right. Either because I liked the play but wasn’t hot on the director, or there was another star attached that I wasn't jazzed about working with."
He further added that when showed a copy of Wouk's novel "...I was shocked at how good the writing was."
His next film role was in the 2006 black comedy ''
Big Nothing'', in which he played a bitter, unemployed scientist.
Schwimmer made his directorial feature debut in the 2007 British comedy film ''
Run Fatboy Run
''Run Fatboy Run'' is a 2007 comedy film directed by David Schwimmer, written by Michael Ian Black and Simon Pegg, and starring Pegg, Dylan Moran, Thandiwe Newton, Harish Patel, India de Beaufort and Hank Azaria. It was released in the United ...
''. The film stars
Simon Pegg
Simon John Pegg (né Beckingham; born 14 February 1970) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. He came to prominence in the UK as the co-creator of the Channel 4 sitcom ''Spaced'' (1999–2001), directed by Edgar Wright. H ...
as an out of shape man who signs up for a marathon to convince his former fiancée and five-year-old son that he has turned his life around.
When asked why he decided to direct the film, Schwimmer said: "As a director, I was struck by the challenge that I thought the script presented, which was that it was kind of three films in one. You had some great, big physical comedy, and I thought funny dialogue and characters. And then there was some real emotion to it with the relationship between the father and the son and the romance aspect." ''Run Fatboy Run'' garnered mixed reception, with the ''
New York Daily News'' rating it one-and-a-half out of five stars and writing, "Most disappointing is how Schwimmer—who spent 10 seasons on a sitcom filled with hyperverbal characters—manages to bumble 'Fatboy's' tender moments." ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
'', however, was favorable towards Schwimmer, reporting he possesses filmmaking finesse "having wisely chosen strong comic material for his debut behind the camera." For his directorial work, he was nominated for a
British Independent Film Award
The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) is an organisation that celebrates, supports and promotes British independent cinema and filmmaking talent in United Kingdom. Nominations for the annual awards ceremony are announced in early November, ...
in the category of Best Debut Director.
On November 8, 2007, Schwimmer made a guest appearance in the
second season of the television series ''
30 Rock'', where he played Greenzo, an NBC environmental mascot. The following year, he was part of an
ensemble cast that included
Kate Beckinsale
Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costume ...
,
Matt Dillon,
Alan Alda
Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war come ...
,
Angela Bassett, and
Noah Wyle
Noah Strausser Speer Wyle (; born June 4, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as John Carter in the television series '' ER'' (1994–2009), which earned him nominations for three Golden Globe Awards and five Primetime Emm ...
in the thriller ''
Nothing But the Truth'' (2008). The movie received generally favorable reviews. The success of ''Madagascar'' led Schwimmer to return to the role of Melman in the 2008 sequel, ''
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa''. The film earned US$603 million at the international box office. Schwimmer took part in directing in-studio segments for ''
Little Britain USA
''Little Britain USA'' is an American spin-off-continuation of British sketch show, ''Little Britain'', produced by and aired on HBO.
As in the British series, Matt Lucas and David Walliams play the majority of the characters: originals such a ...
'', an American spin-off of the British
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
''. In regard to this, he commented that he had "a good time directing episodes" for the show.
In October 2008, Schwimmer made his Off-Broadway directorial debut in ''Fault Lines'' at the
in New York.
'', which wrote: "Based on ''Fault Lines'' ... we can't really tell whether Schwimmer has much talent as a director. We're surprised he didn't try something more challenging for his debut. If not much else, Schwimmer has encouraged his actors to intense their energy levels and comic timing at all costs".
'', however, noted that Schwimmer "knows a thing or two about freewheeling banter ... and for a good while the play crackles with terrific dialogue, expertly delivered". In February 2009, he returned to theater in a Chicago production of
.
"Schwimmer ... turns in a poignant, richly textured and demonstrably heartfelt performance as George Gibbs. I've seen a fair bit of Schwimmer's post-''Friends'' stage work in London and New York, and I've never seen him better", commented the ''
''.
''. In the episode,
) agency tries to steer his career back to television. Schwimmer directed his second feature, ''
. The film, a drama, is about a family whose teenage daughter becomes victim of an online sexual predator. ''Trust'' premiered at the
.
, whom he directed in ''Little Britain USA''. The following year, he returned to voice Melman the Giraffe in ''
. The movie starred
.
In 2014, Schwimmer was cast as the lead in the ABC comedy pilot ''Irreversible'', playing "one half of a somewhat eccentric, self-absorbed couple". In 2016, Schwimmer played
''. He received a
nomination for his performance. In January 2016, Schwimmer and
''. The series premiered on June 5, 2016, and aired 10 episodes through August before being canceled. In November 2016, it was announced that Schwimmer would star in his first audio series.
'' began airing on November 16, 2016.
In April 2017, Schwimmer helped adapt the films of
for a US audience. The six short features depict sexual harassment at work by men on women.
In 2020, Schwimmer was cast as a main character in a British sitcom, ''
.
In May 2020, Schwimmer was a celebrity reader on
Bedtime Stories
In late 2020 Schwimmer was signed as the face of British banking chain
.
in the late 1990s. Schwimmer and
''. Schwimmer began a relationship with British artist
and they married in June 2010. Their daughter was born in 2011. The couple announced in April 2017 that they were "taking some time apart".
. He previously had a loft in
lawsuit against Aaron Tonken, a former charity fundraiser. Tonken claimed Schwimmer had demanded
watches in order to appear at his own charity event, a claim that Schwimmer had denied.
Schwimmer is an active director of the Rape Treatment Center in
, which specializes in helping victims of date rape and child rape.
.
'' to commemorate World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse and Violence against Children.
In 2012, he rebutted two longstanding rumors: one that he appeared as a soldier on a train in ''
'' (1988), saying, "No. I don't know why that's on
, saying, "No, not at all. Please set the record straight. I guess it's a natural assumption because we have the same last name, but no. I've never even met her".
'' in 2016. He also has received seven
for ''Friends''.
*
* Lawrence, Will.
" ''The Daily Telegraph''. August 31, 2007. Accessed June 10, 2009.
* Greenstreet, Rosanna.
" ''The Guardian''. September 8, 2007. Accessed June 10, 2009.
* Pratt, Steve.
" ''The Northern Echo''. September 8, 2007. Accessed June 10, 2009.
* Fanning, Evan.
" ''Irish Independent''. September 9, 2007. Accessed June 10, 2009.
* DiLiberto, Rebecca.
" ''The Boston Globe''. March 23, 2008. Accessed June 10, 2009.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schwimmer, David