David Schwimmer

David Schwimmer
Born	David Lawrence Schwimmer
Occupation(s)	film, television actor film, television director Film producer
Years active	1988-present
Awards	Satellite Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television 2002 Band of Brothers

David Lawrence Schwimmer (born November 12, 1966 in Astoria, Queens, New York) is an Emmy-nominated American actor and director for television and film, who gained popularity when playing Dr. Ross Geller on the hugely popular American sitcom Friends.

Early life

Schwimmer was born in Astoria, Queens, New York, to Jewish parents, Arthur Schwimmer and Arlene Colman, and then lived in Valley Stream, Long Island, until he was 2 years old. 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 Theater Company.

Career

Schwimmer is best known for his role as palaeontologist Dr. 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.

Aside from acting, he also directed 10 episodes of the series.' 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.

Schwimmer played himself on the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm. He also appeared in the TV series The Wonder Years.

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. He had previously starred with Pegg in the movie Big Nothing and briefly in Band of Brothers. He is currently in talks to direct Simon Pegg's and Nick Frost's new project Paul.

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 amongst others.

Filmography

1989: A Deadly Silence (TV) 1991: Flight of the Intruder 1992: Crossing the Bridge 1992: The Wonder Years (TV series) 1993: The Waiter 1993: The Pitch 1993: NYPD Blue 1993: Twenty Bucks 1994: Wolf 1994-2004: Friends (TV series) 1994: Monty (TV series) 1995: The Party Favor 1996: The Pallbearer 1997: Breast Men 1998: The Thin Pink Line 1998: Kissing a Fool

1998: Since You've Been Gone (TV) 1998: Six Days Seven Nights 1998: Apt Pupil 1998: It's The Rage 2000: Love & Sex 2000: Picking Up the Pieces 2001: Band of Brothers (TV mini-series) 2001: Hotel 2001: Uprising (TV) 2005: Duane Hopwood 2005: Madagascar (voice) 2005: Curb Your Enthusiasm 2006: Big Nothing 2007: Run, Fat Boy, Run (Director) 2007: 30 Rock (TV; episode "Greenzo") 2008: Madagascar 2 (voice) 2008: Nothing But The Truth

See also

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

Further reading

• Greenstreet, Rosanna (2007-09-08). "Q&A: David Schwimmer". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-09-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Cooper, Tim (2001-11-25). "Friends in high places". The Observer. Retrieved 2007-12-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

• Funny Interview with David Schwimmer Director of Run Fatboy Run
• David Schwimmer at IMDb
• WVAH Fox11 bio
• Lookingglass Theatre Company