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 director comedian 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 became famous around the world for playing Ross Geller in the TV show Friends. For this role, he won a Screen Actors Guild Award and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 1995.

While he was still on Friends, David Schwimmer also started acting in movies. His first main movie role was in The Pallbearer (1996). He also voiced Melman the Giraffe in the animated Madagascar film series. Later, he starred in the miniseries Band of Brothers (2001) as Captain Herbert M. Sobel. In 2016, he played lawyer Robert Kardashian in The People v. O. J. Simpson, which earned him another Emmy nomination.

Early life and education

David Schwimmer was born on November 2, 1966, in Flushing, Queens, New York City. His parents, Arthur and Arlene, were lawyers. His family is Jewish. When he was 10, he had his first acting experience in a play. At age 12, he attended a Shakespeare workshop led by English actor Sir Ian McKellen. This experience really inspired him. He later won two first prizes in a Southern California Shakespeare Festival contest.

His family moved to Beverly Hills, where he went to Beverly Hills High School. Even though he was good at science and math and first wanted to be a doctor, he joined a drama class. His drama teacher encouraged him to pursue acting further. He then attended a summer acting program at Northwestern University in Chicago.

After graduating from high school in 1984, his parents wanted him to go to college first. So, David enrolled in Northwestern University, where he studied theater. He was also part of an improv comedy group there. In 1988, he graduated with a degree in theater and speech. After college, he helped start the Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago. Later, he moved back to Los Angeles to focus on his acting career.

Career highlights

Early acting roles (1989–1994)

David Schwimmer began his acting career in television. His first role was in the TV movie A Deadly Silence in 1989. He then appeared in popular TV shows like L.A. Law in 1992 and The Wonder Years. He also had a recurring role in NYPD Blue. His first regular role in a TV series was in the sitcom Monty.

Becoming a star (1994–2004)

Schwimmer at the London premiere of Madagascar in 2005

In 1994, David Schwimmer was cast as Ross Geller in the famous TV show Friends. The show was about a group of friends living in Manhattan. Ross was a paleontologist (someone who studies fossils) who later became a professor. David Schwimmer was the first actor chosen for the show, and the character of Ross was written with him in mind.

Friends first aired on September 22, 1994, and quickly became very popular. Critics praised the show and David's acting. His character's on-again, off-again relationship with Rachel was a big part of the show's success. For his role, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 1995.

While on Friends, he also took on movie roles. In 1996, he starred in the romantic comedy The Pallbearer. In 1998, he appeared in Kissing a Fool, Six Days, Seven Nights, and Apt Pupil. He also played Captain Herbert M. Sobel in the Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks miniseries Band of Brothers in 2001. Later that year, he played Yitzhak Zuckerman in the war drama Uprising.

David Schwimmer also directed ten episodes of Friends. The show's final episode aired on May 6, 2004.

Directing and voice acting (2004–2010)

After Friends ended, David Schwimmer explored more film and stage work. In 2005, he starred in the drama film Duane Hopwood. That same year, he began voicing Melman, a hypochondriac giraffe, in the animated movie Madagascar. This film was a huge success, earning over $532 million worldwide.

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

In 2005, he made his West End stage debut in London in the play Some Girl(s). In 2006, he made his Broadway debut in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.

David Schwimmer made his first feature film as a director with the 2007 British comedy Run Fatboy Run. The film stars Simon Pegg. He also directed episodes for the American TV show Little Britain USA. In 2008, he returned to voice Melman in the sequel, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, which also did very well at the box office. In 2009, he acted in a Chicago production of the play Our Town. He also directed his second feature film, Trust, a drama about a family dealing with an online predator.

Recent work (2010–present)

In 2011, David Schwimmer appeared in the British comedy series Come Fly with Me. He voiced Melman again in Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted in 2012. In 2013, he was in the film The Iceman.

In 2016, David Schwimmer played Robert Kardashian in the first season of the FX series American Crime Story, which earned him another Primetime Emmy Award nomination. He also starred in the crime drama Feed the Beast. In November 2016, he starred in his first audio series, the Gimlet Media podcast Homecoming.

In 2020, Schwimmer was cast as a main character in the British sitcom Intelligence. He also read a story for CBeebies Bedtime Stories. In 2021, he reunited with the Friends cast for the Friends: The Reunion special on HBO Max. As of 2025, he is starring in season 2 of the horror series Goosebumps, based on the popular book series.

Personal life

David Schwimmer was married to British artist Zoë Buckman. They married on June 4, 2010, and their daughter, Cleo Buckman Schwimmer, was born in 2011. They announced they were taking time apart in April 2017 and later divorced that year. They continue to co-parent their daughter in a friendly way. He tries to keep his family life private to protect his daughter's childhood.

Filmography

Film

Television

Director/producer

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: David Schwimmer para niños

• Back Stage West Garland Awards, for his Lookingglass Theatre Company, production of Arabian Nights