David Schwimmer

Lore & Background

Schwimmer was born in Flushing, Queens, New York City, to attorneys Arthur and Arlene Coleman-Schwimmer. His family is Jewish. He has a sister named Ellie. His mother was a high profile divorce attorney who represented Elizabeth Taylor and Rod Stewart. The family moved to Los Angeles, where Schwimmer, at 10, had his first acting experience as the fairy godmother in a Jewish version of Cinderella. At 12, he attended a Shakespeare workshop given by Sir Ian McKellen. He later won two first prizes in the Southern California Shakespeare Festival. He attended Beverly Hills High School, where his classmates included Jonathan Silverman, and felt like an outsider. His best subjects were science and math, and he originally wanted to become a doctor. Encouraged by a drama teacher, he flew to Chicago for a summer acting program at Northwestern University. He graduated from Northwestern in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts in theater and speech, then co-founded the Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago.

Reader's Guide

David Schwimmer's significance stems primarily from his role as Ross Geller on Friends, a series that debuted in 1994 and became a cultural phenomenon. The character of Ross was written with Schwimmer in mind, and he was the first actor cast. The on-again-off-again romance between Ross and Rachel has been described as one of the greatest TV couples of all time. Schwimmer's performance earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1995. Beyond Friends, he took on varied film roles in the late 1990s, including The Pallbearer, Kissing a Fool, Six Days, Seven Nights, and Apt Pupil. He also appeared in the miniseries Band of Brothers as Herbert Sobel. After Friends ended in 2004, he branched into film and stage work, including the lead in Duane Hopwood, voicing Melman the giraffe in the Madagascar franchise, and starring in Big Nothing and Nothing but the Truth. He made his West End debut in Some Girl(s) and his Broadway debut in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. His feature film directorial debut was Run Fatboy Run in 2007. In 2016, he starred as Robert Kardashian in The People v. O. J. Simpson, earning a second Primetime Emmy Award nomination. In 2025, he starred in Goosebumps: The Vanishing, earning a Children's and Family Emmy Award nomination. His legacy includes his work as a director on Friends and his continued presence in television and film.

Did You Know?

• Schwimmer was born on November 2, 1966, though some sources say November 12.
• He co-founded the Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago after graduating from Northwestern University.
• He turned down the lead role of Agent J in Men in Black, later regretting the decision.
• He studied clown under Philippe Gaulier at École Philippe Gaulier.