David Schwimmer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Schwimmer
Schwimmer in 2011
Born	David Lawrence Schwimmer (1966-11-02) November 2, 1966 (age 58) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	Northwestern University (BA)
Occupation	Actor comedian director producer
Years active	1989–present
Known for	Friends Madagascar film series Band of Brothers The People v. O. J. Simpson
Spouse(s)	Zoë Buckman ​ ​ (m. 2010; div. 2017)​
Children	1
Awards	Full list
Signature

David Lawrence Schwimmer (born November 2, 1966) is an American actor, director, comedian, and producer. He is best known for playing Ross Geller in the popular TV show Friends. For this role, he won a Screen Actors Guild Award. He was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 1995.

While still on Friends, David Schwimmer also started acting in movies. His first main movie role was in The Pallbearer (1996). He then appeared in films like Kissing a Fool (1998) and Six Days, Seven Nights (1998). He also played Herbert Sobel in the miniseries Band of Brothers (2001).

David Schwimmer began acting in school plays. In 1988, he earned a degree in theater and speech from Northwestern University. After college, he helped start the Lookingglass Theatre Company. In the late 1980s, he struggled to find acting jobs in Los Angeles. His career began to take off with roles in TV shows like L.A. Law, The Wonder Years, and NYPD Blue.

After Friends ended in 2004, Schwimmer worked more in movies and theater. He was the main character in the movie Duane Hopwood (2005). He also voiced Melman the Giraffe in the animated Madagascar movies. He acted in the comedy Big Nothing (2006) and the thriller Nothing but the Truth (2008). He also started directing films, with his first being Run Fatboy Run in 2007. In 2016, he played lawyer Robert Kardashian in the TV series The People v. O. J. Simpson. This role earned him another Emmy nomination.

Early Life and Education

David Schwimmer was born in Flushing, Queens, New York City. His parents, Arthur and Arlene, were both lawyers. His family is Jewish. He has an older sister named Ellie. When he was young, his family moved to Los Angeles.

At age 10, David had his first acting experience. He played the fairy godmother in a Jewish version of Cinderella. In 1979, he attended a Shakespeare workshop led by English actor Sir Ian McKellen. He loved this experience. Schwimmer also won two first prizes in the Southern California Shakespeare Festival contest.

His family later moved to Beverly Hills. David went to Beverly Hills High School. He felt like an outsider there. He was good at science and math and thought about becoming a doctor. However, he joined a drama class and appeared in school plays.

His drama teacher encouraged him to pursue acting. He attended a summer acting program at Northwestern University in Chicago. He found the experience "enlightening and exhilarating." After graduating high school in 1984, his parents wanted him to go to college first. He enrolled at Northwestern University and studied theater. He was part of an improv group there. In 1988, he graduated with a degree in theater and speech. He then helped create the Lookingglass Theatre Company. After that, he moved back to Los Angeles to become an actor.

Starting His Acting Journey

David Schwimmer's first TV role was in the movie A Deadly Silence (1989). He then appeared in the legal drama L.A. Law in 1992. He also had roles in the comedy-drama series The Wonder Years. His first movie role was in Flight of the Intruder (1991). He also played a lawyer in NYPD Blue.

He got his first regular TV series role in the sitcom Monty. In this show, he played the liberal son of a conservative talk show host.

Becoming a TV Star

Schwimmer at the London premiere of Madagascar, 2005

In 1994, David Schwimmer was cast as Ross Geller in the NBC sitcom Friends. The show was about a group of friends living in Manhattan. He played a paleontologist who worked at a museum and later became a professor. Schwimmer first turned down the role, but later accepted it. The show's producer, Kevin S. Bright, said he had Schwimmer in mind for Ross.

Friends first aired on September 22, 1994. Almost 22 million Americans watched it. The show quickly became very popular. Schwimmer and the show received great reviews. Many people loved the story between Ross and Rachel, calling them one of the best TV couples ever. Critics praised Schwimmer's performance. For his role, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 1995.

In 1996, Schwimmer starred in his first main movie role. It was the romantic comedy The Pallbearer with Gwyneth Paltrow. Critics had mixed feelings about the movie. However, many liked Schwimmer's acting. He said he chose the role to play a character very different from Ross. He was offered a role in Men in Black but turned it down. He had already promised to direct a film with his theater company friends.

His next movies in 1998 included Kissing a Fool, Six Days, Seven Nights, and Apt Pupil. In Kissing a Fool, he played a TV sports reporter. In Six Days, Seven Nights, he was the boyfriend of Anne Heche's character. In Apt Pupil, he had a supporting role as a school guidance counselor. He later appeared with Woody Allen and Sharon Stone in the comedy Picking Up the Pieces (2000).

In 2001, Schwimmer played Captain Herbert M. Sobel in the Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks miniseries Band of Brothers. This show was about World War II. Later that year, he played Yitzhak Zuckerman in the drama Uprising. This movie was based on the true events of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943.

In March 2004, Schwimmer appeared as himself on the comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm. During his time on Friends, he also directed ten episodes of the show. The final episode of Friends aired on May 6, 2004.

Beyond Acting: Directing and Voice Work

Schwimmer in 2007 at the premiere of his directorial debut, Run Fatboy Run.

After Friends, David Schwimmer directed a TV pilot called Nevermind Nirvana in 2004. In 2005, he starred in the movie Duane Hopwood. Critics liked his performance in this film. Also in 2005, he voiced Melman, a hypochondriac giraffe, in the animated movie Madagascar. The film was a huge success, earning over $532 million worldwide.

In May 2005, Schwimmer acted on the London stage in Some Girl(s). He played a teacher who visits four ex-girlfriends before getting married. In 2006, he made his Broadway debut in the play The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. He played Lieutenant Barney Greenwald. His next movie role was in the 2006 black comedy Big Nothing.

Schwimmer directed his first feature film in 2007. It was the British comedy Run Fatboy Run. The movie stars Simon Pegg as a man who tries to run a marathon. Schwimmer said he was excited by the challenge of directing a film with comedy and emotion. The film received mixed reviews, but many praised Schwimmer's directing. He was nominated for a British Independent Film Award for Best Debut Director.

In 2007, he guest-starred in the TV series 30 Rock as Greenzo, an environmental mascot. In 2008, he was part of the cast in the thriller Nothing But the Truth. Because Madagascar was so popular, Schwimmer returned to voice Melman in the sequel, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008). This film earned over $603 million worldwide. Schwimmer also directed parts of Little Britain USA, an American TV show.

In October 2008, Schwimmer directed the play Fault Lines in New York. In February 2009, he acted in the play Our Town in Chicago. Critics praised his performance in this play. In August 2009, Schwimmer played himself in the TV series Entourage. He also directed his second movie, Trust, which premiered in 2010.

Recent Projects

On January 1, 2011, David Schwimmer guest-starred in the British comedy series Come Fly with Me. In 2012, he voiced Melman the Giraffe again in Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. In 2013, he appeared in the movie The Iceman.

In 2014, Schwimmer was cast in the ABC comedy pilot Irreversible. In 2016, he played Robert Kardashian in the TV series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. He received an Emmy nomination for this role. In 2016, he also starred in the AMC crime drama Feed the Beast. In November 2016, he starred in his first audio series, the Gimlet Media podcast Homecoming.

In April 2017, Schwimmer helped adapt films by Sigal Avin for a US audience. In 2020, he was cast as a main character in the British sitcom Intelligence. That same year, he read a story for CBeebies Bedtime Stories. He also became the face of the British bank TSB.

Schwimmer appeared in Jews Don't Count, a 2022 documentary about antisemitism. He will also star in season 2 of the horror series Goosebumps in January 2025.

His Life Off-Screen

David Schwimmer dated singer-songwriter Natalie Imbruglia in the late 1990s. He and Jennifer Aniston shared that they had crushes on each other while filming Friends. Schwimmer started a relationship with British artist Zoë Buckman in 2007. They married on June 4, 2010. Their child, Cleo Buckman Schwimmer, was born in 2011. The couple announced they were taking time apart in April 2017 and divorced later that year. They remain on good terms and raise their child together. He tries to keep his personal life private to protect his daughter's childhood.

Schwimmer mainly lives in East Village, Manhattan. He has also lived in Chicago and Los Angeles.

In November 2011, he allowed the Scottish charity Children 1st to show his film Trust. This was to mark World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse and Violence against Children.

In 2012, he cleared up two rumors about himself. He said he was not in the movie Biloxi Blues (1988). He also confirmed he is not related to dancer Lacey Schwimmer.

Filmography

Movies

TV Shows

Director and Producer Roles

Awards

See Also

In Spanish: David Schwimmer para niños