David Schwimmer

David Lawrence Schwimmer (born November 2, 1966) is an American actor, director, comedian, and producer. He gained worldwide recognition for portraying Ross Geller in the sitcom Friends (1994-2004), 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 (1996), followed by roles in Kissing a Fool; Six Days, Seven Nights; Apt Pupil (all 1998); and Picking Up the Pieces (2000). He was then cast in the miniseries Band of Brothers (2001) as Herbert Sobel.
Schwimmer began his acting career performing in school plays at Beverly Hills High School. He appeared in a number of television roles in the early 1990s, including L.A. Law, The Wonder Years, NYPD Blue, and Monty. Schwimmer was cast as Ross Geller in Friends. The program was hugely successful and Schwimmer, along with his co-stars, gained widespread and worldwide recognition among television viewers. He earned an Emmy Award nomination in the "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series" category for the role in 1995, which made him the first cast member of Friends to receive such a nomination. He also played the minor role of Russ in the episode "The One With Russ" (1996). During the show's 10-year run, Schwimmer appeared in numerous movies but perhaps gained most recognition outside of Friends playing Captain Herbert Sobel in the dramatic mini-series Band of Brothers.
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, 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). He made his Broadway debut in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial in 2006. His feature film directorial debut followed in 2007 with the comedy Run Fatboy Run, and the following year he made his Off-Broadway directorial debut in Fault Lines. In 2016, Schwimmer starred as lawyer Robert Kardashian 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.
Schwimmer has also worked as a director, including 10 episodes of Friends during his time on the series. Along with the rest of the main cast, he participated in the 2021 reunion special Friends: The Reunion. The episodes Schwimmer directed were "The One With The Birth Mother" (2004), "The One With Phoebe's Birthday Dinner" (2002), "The One Where Joey Dates Rachel" (2002), "The One With The Stripper" (2001), "The One With The Red Sweater" (2001), "The One With The Truth About London" (2001), "The One With All The Candy" (2000), "The One With Ross' Library Book" (2000), "The One With Rachel's Assistant" (2000) and "The One On The Last Night" (1999). 
==Biography==
===Early Life===
David Schwimmer was born in Astoria, Queens, New York, to Jewish parents, Arthur Schwimmer and Arlene Colman. They lived in Valley Stream, Long Island, til he was 2. He was raised in Los Angeles, California, where he attended Beverly Hills High School.
Having attended Northwestern University's summer "Cherub" program (the National High School Institute) in 1983, he subsequently enrolled at the university as a theater major, joining Delta Tau Delta Fraternity and Arts Alliance in addition to acting and directing. In 1988, along with seven other Northwestern graduates, he co-founded Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre Company.
===Career===
Schwimmer began his acting career performing in school plays at Beverly Hills High School. He appeared in a number of television roles in the early 1990s, including L.A. Law, The Wonder Years, NYPD Blue, and Monty. 
Schwimmer was cast as paleontologist Ross Geller in the television sitcom Friends. The program was hugely successful and Schwimmer, along with his co-stars, gained widespread and worldwide recognition among television viewers. He earned an Emmy Award nomination in the "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series" category for the role in 1995. This made him the first cast member of Friends to receive such a nomination. He also played the minor role of Russ in the episode "The One With Russ" (1996).
Schwimmer has also worked as a director, including the following 10 episodes of Friends during his time on the series:
* "The One With The Birth Mother" (2004)
* "The One With Phoebe's Birthday Dinner" (2002)
* "The One Where Joey Dates Rachel" (2002)
* "The One With The Stripper" (2001)
* "The One With The Red Sweater" (2001)
* "The One With The Truth About London" (2001)
* "The One With All The Candy" (2000)
* "The One With Ross' Library Book" (2000)
* "The One With Rachel's Assistant" (2000)
* "The One On The Last Night" (1999)
During the show's 10-year run, Schwimmer appeared in numerous movies but perhaps gained most recognition outside of Friends playing Captain Herbert Sobel in the dramatic mini-series Band of Brothers. He was the first Friends character to host Saturday Night Live in 1995, with all the other main cast members to follow in his footsteps over the rest of the seasons in the '90s, apart from Matt LeBlanc who never hosted.
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, 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). He made his Broadway debut in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial in 2006. His feature film directorial debut followed in 2007 with the comedy Run Fatboy Run, and the following year he made his Off-Broadway directorial debut in Fault Lines.
In 2005, Schwimmer portrayed the main protagonist in the independent drama Duane Hopwood, and received positive reviews for his role as an alcoholic looking to turn his life around. In 2007, David directed his first film, the British comedy Run, Fat Boy, Run, produced by Robert Jones, where he teamed up with British actor Simon Pegg. A film about a man training for the London Marathon after running away from his pregnant fiancé on their wedding day. The movie starred Hank Azaria who had starred as David In Friends. He had previously starred with Pegg in the movie Big Nothing and briefly in Band of Brothers.
In 2016, Schwimmer portrayed the late Robert Kardashian in the first season of American Crime Story, subtitled The People v. O.J. Simpson, which garnered him an Emmy Award nomination.
In May 2021, he participated in the special episode Friends: The Reunion.
===Personal Life===
Schwimmer dated Natalie Imbruglia and Mili Avital, (broke up in 2001) and Carla Alapont. After they broke up in 2003, he was linked to Emmanuelle Perret among others. He is said to be related to Benji Schwimmer, second season winner of So You Think You Can Dance (America).
In 2007, Schwimmer started dating English photographer Zoe Buckman. In March 2010, Schwimmer and Buckman announced their engagement they were married in a small private ceremony the following June. On May 8, 2011, Schwimmer and his wife welcomed a daughter, Cleo Buckman Schwimmer.
The family splits their time between Los Angeles and Chicago, where as of 2008 they own homes.
== Filmography==
=== Film===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1991	Flight of the Intruder 	Duty Officer 	
1992	Crossing the Bridge 	John Anderson 	
1993	Twenty Bucks 	Neil Campbell 	
1993	The Waiter 	Evil Waiter 	Short film
1993	The Pitch 	Vinnie 	Short film
1994	Wolf 	Cop 	
1995	The Party Favor 	Unknown 	Short film
1996	The Pallbearer 	Tom Thompson 	
1998	Kissing a Fool 	Max Abbitt 	Also executive producer
1998	Six Days Seven Nights 	Frank Martin 	
1998	Apt Pupil 	Edward French 	
1998	The Thin Pink Line 	Kelly Goodish/J.T. 	
1999	All the Rage 	Chris 	
2000	Love & Sex 	Door to door preacher 	Uncredited
2000	Picking Up the Pieces 	Father Leo Jerome 	
2001	Hotel 	Jonathan Danderfine 	
2001	Uprising 	Yitzhak "Antek" Zuckerman 	
2003	Great Family 	Tony Adams 	
2005	Duane Hopwood 	Duane Hopwood 	
2005	Madagascar 	Melman (voice) 	
2006	Big Nothing 	Charlie 	
2007	Run, Fatboy, Run 	Man Handing Dennis a Beer During Race	Uncredited
2008	Nothing but the Truth 	Ray Armstrong 	
2008	Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa 	Melman (voice) 	
2012	John Carter 	Young Thark Warrior 	
2012	The Iceman 	Josh Rosenthal 	
2012	Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted	Melman (voice) 	
2013	Madly Madagascar 	Melman (voice) 	Short film
2019	The Laundromat 	Matthew Quirk 	
2024	Little Death 	 	Completed
===Television===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1989 	A Deadly Silence 	Rob Cuccio 	TV movie
1991–1992 	The Wonder Years 	Michael 	4 episodes (seasons 4-5)
1992–1993 	L.A. Law 	City Attorney Dana Romney	Recurring role (season 7)
1993 	NYPD Blue 	Josh '4B' Goldstein 	4 episodes
1993 	Blossom 	Sonny Catalano 	2 episodes
1994 	Monty 	Greg Richardson 	Main cast
1994–2004 	Friends 	Ross Geller 	Main cast (also played Russ in "The One With Russ"; credited as Snaro)
1995 	The Single Guy 	Ross Geller 	Episode: "Neighbors"Uncredited
1995 	Saturday Night Live 	Himself (host) 	Episode: "David Schwimmer/Natalie Merchant"
1996 	ER 	Dr. Karubian (voice) 	Episode: "Doctor Carter, I Presume"Uncredited
1997 	Breast Men 	Dr. Kevin Saunders 	TV movie
1998 	Since You've Been Gone 	Robert S. Levitt 	TV movie
2001 	Uprising 	Yitzhak Zuckerman 	TV movie
2001 	Band of Brothers 	Captain Herbert M. Sobel 	Miniseries, main cast (first 3 episodes)
2003 	MADtv 	Himself 	Episode: "9.3"
2004 	Curb Your Enthusiasm 	Himself 	3 episodes
2007 	30 Rock 	Greenzo/Jared 	Episode: "Greenzo"
2009 	Merry Madagascar 	Melman (voice) 	Television special
2009 	Entourage 	Himself 	Episode: "Running on E"
2011 	Come Fly With Me 	Himself 	Episode 2
2012 	Web Therapy 	Newell L. Miller 	Recurring role (season 2)
2015 	Episodes 	Himself 	Episode: "Episode Five"
2016 	The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story	Robert Kardashian 	Miniseries, main cast
2016 	Feed the Beast 	Tommy Moran 	Main cast
2018–2019 	Will & Grace 	Noah Broader 	Recurring role (season 10)
2019 	Mysterious Planet 	Narrator 	Television documentary series
2020–present	Intelligence 	Jerry Berstein 	Main cast
2021 	Friends: The Reunion 	Himself 	HBO Max special; also executive producer
2023 	Extrapolations 	Harris Goldblatt 	Episode: "2047: The Fifth Question"
2023 	Captain Fall 	Joel Moon (voice) 	Episode: "Boner Medicine"
===Director/producer===
Year 	Title 	Notes
1996 	Shoot the Moon 	Executive producer
1998 	Since You've Been Gone	Director; television film
1999–2004	Friends 	Director; 10 episodes
2003 	Humanoid 	Executive producer
2004 	Americana 	Director; television film
2004 	The Tracy Morgan Show 	Director; episode: "Miracle Street"
2004 	Nevermind Nirvana 	Director/executive producer; pilot
2004–2005	Joey 	Director; 2 episodes: "Joey and the Perfect Storm" (2004)/"Joey and the Taste Test" (2005)
2005 	New Car Smell 	Director; television film
2007 	Run, Fatboy, Run 	Director
2008 	Little Britain USA 	Director; 6 episodes
2008 	Fly Like Mercury 	Executive producer
2010 	Trust 	Director
2014 	Growing Up Fisher 	Director/executive producer; episode: "Pilot"
2014 	Irreversible 	Director/executive producer; television film
==Trivia==
*David Schwimmer is allergic to cats.
==External Links==
*David Schwimmer at the Internet Movie Database.
Category:Actors
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Category:Actors playing different characters
Category:Main Cast
Category:Friends: The Reunion Actors
Category:Friends: The Reunion Directors