Why Hollywood Won’t Cast David Schwimmer Anymore – The Real Reason You Don’t See David Schwimmer On TV Anymore
David Schwimmer became a household name overnight thanks to his role as Dr. Ross Geller on the hit '90s sitcom Friends. Since then, he's done a lot of other work but somehow it's largely gone unnoticed. For some reason, despite having the same career launch as his Friends co-stars, Schwimmer just hasn't been seen around Hollywood as much as you would think. Believe it or not, he started shunning fame in addition to some unfortunate mishaps with his name. Keep reading to see where Schwimmer has been since his days at Central Perk!
Schwimmer Struggled With Celebrity Status
David Schwimmer was cast as Dr. Ross Geller on Friends in 1994. Gellar was a nerdy paleontologist who still somehow managed to be lovable despite his frustrating character traits. The fame that came with that role was something Schwimmer couldn't handle at first.
"It was pretty jarring and it messed with my relationships to other people in a way that took years, I think, for me to adjust to and become comfortable with... It made me want to hide under a baseball cap and not be seen," he said on the Awards Chatter podcast in 2016.
Playing Ross Was "A Blessing And A Curse"
Aside from Friends, Schwimmer has worked both behind the camera and on other TV shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, 30 Rock, and more. But his role as Ross Geller seemed to overshadow his other work.
"On the one hand, I'm typecast, or there is the danger of being seen or believed as that one character. On the other hand, it was a piece of pop culture and television history and it provided financial security... There's not a day that goes by that I'm not grateful," Schwimmer told Los Angeles Times in 2016.
Someone Accused Schwimmer Of Greed
In 2006, someone tried to tarnish David Schwimmer's nice guy reputation by accusing the actor of demanding two brand new Rolex watches in exchange for attending his own charity event. Schwimmer sued accuser Aaron Tonken for $400,000 in a defamation lawsuit.
Tonken was already serving a prison sentence for an unrelated fraud case and apologized to Schwimmer. The actor later said in a statement, "I feel vindicated by the judgement. I am pleased that Aaron Tonken has set the record straight and admitted that his statements about me... were untrue."
Schwimmer Moved Behind The Camera
After Friends went off the air in 2004, Schwimmer seemed to have faded into the background. That's because he went straight to work towards his directorial pursuits. In 2007, the actor made his directorial debut with Run Fatboy Run, a British-American comedy starring Simon Pegg.
Schwimmer's work was promising as he earned a British Independent Film Award nomination for Best Debut. His other directorial work includes 2010's Trust, in addition to some television shows. The most notable was Joey, a Friends spin-off starring Matt LeBlanc, which was not as successful as it set out to be.
Even On The Stage, He Was Still Seen As Ross
Shortly after Friends went off the air, the actor further distanced himself from Hollywood with a return to theatre. Schwimmer debuted at London's West End in 2005, starring in Some Girl(s), a comedy by Neil LaBute.
Even then he worried that audience members still wouldn't be able to distinguish him from his Ross character. "I'm sure there will be people, including some critics, saying it's just Ross up there. And I'll take that... really hard actually... Someone has said it about every single thing I've done outside of Friends," he told Independent in 2005.
David Schwimmer's Return To TV Didn't Work
David Schwimmer's returned to headlining television shows in 2016 when he was slated to star in the AMC crime drama Feed the Beast. Schwimmer played Tommy Moran, a widowed "functional alcoholic" father whose dreams of opening a restaurant land him in the midst of a Bronx crime ring.
It seemed that Schwimmer's official return to television was on the rise, but unfortunately, the show tanked. Feed the Beast received poor reviews, with some critics believing that Schwimmer tried too hard in his performance. Unsurprisingly, the show was canceled after just one season.
Schwimmer And His Baby Mama Split In 2017
David Schwimmer married British artist and producer Zoë Buckman in 2010 and had a daughter with her a year later. Their relationship lasted a good ten years before they announced their split in April 2017.
Despite the split, Schwimmer's primary focus was still his family. In their statement to Us Weekly they said, "Our priority is, of course, our daughter's happiness and well-being during this challenging time, and so we ask for your support and respect for our privacy as we continue to raise her together and navigate this new chapter for our family."
Some Of Schwimmer's Best Work Hasn't Been Seen
David Schwimmer delivered one of his best performances in the 2005 film, Duane Hopwood, but unfortunately, it has largely gone unrecognized. But even famed film critic Roger Ebert said that Schwimmer delivered a "career-transforming performance."
"It's not a comedy. I play a father struggling with alcohol, divorce and the custody of his two daughters. I'm really proud of that film, it was like a real role in a real story," he told Independent at the time. Duane Hopwood was shown in a special presentation at the Sundance Film Festival but received limited screentime afterward.
Schwimmer Was Snubbed By Jennifer Aniston
In 2015, Schwimmer's major on-screen love interest on Friends Jennifer Aniston married actor Justin Theroux. That marriage caused a stir when it was revealed who wasn't on the guest list. Schwimmer, as well as co-stars Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry, weren't invited to the wedding.
Many people tried to create drama out of it, with some tabloids reporting that Schwimmer "couldn't believe he'd been snubbed." Both LeBlanc and Perry publicly said they didn't know why, but wished Aniston well. You would think that the co-stars would all be good "friends," but apparently not!
Schwimmer Let His Daughter Drink Beer
In 2016, David Schwimmer unintentionally made himself the target of bad criticism after he admitted on Late Night with Seth Meyers that he let his then-5-year-old daughter Cleo drink beer. He recounted that Cleo got curious every time she saw him and her mother drink wine, letting her taste it to deter her from wanting more.
She hated the wine but he jokingly added, "It worked until I let her try beer and she loves it... If I have a beer out, I have to watch it, because if I turn my back, she'll be chugging it."
Schwimmer's Directorial Skills Were Criticized
In 2008, Schwimmer's combined experience of directing and theatre work culminated in his off-Broadway directorial debut, Fault Lines. For someone that was on a comedy sitcom, his show impressed with witty dialogue. The New York Post wrote, "[Schwimmer] knows a thing or two about freewheeling banter."
Other critics weren't convinced. Los Angeles Times wrote, "We can't really tell whether Schwimmer has much talent as a director. We're surprised he didn't try something more challenging for his debut. If not much else, Schwimmer has encouraged his actors to [intensify] their energy levels and comic timing at all costs."
Schwimmer Doesn't Appear On Screen For One Of His Most Successful Roles
Despite his limited success outside of Friends, Schwimmer hit a breakthrough the year after its final season with the hit animated film Madagascar. Schwimmer voices Melman, a hypochondriac giraffe who is thrust into the wild for the first time.
Madagascar turned out to be a box-office success, spawning two sequels and many more spin-offs. Schwimmer told Fox411 in 2012, "The greatest part is you don't have to go through makeup and wardrobe and wait hours... for lighting or set. You kind of just roll up in sweatpants, tennis shoes and a t-shirt because all the work is in your head."
David Schwimmer Made A Really Convincing Kardashian
In 2016, Schwimmer's show Feed the Beast may have flopped, but his return to television wasn't all that bad. Before that show, Schwimmer played lawyer Robert Kardashian in FX's American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson.
Schwimmer was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his portrayal of Kardashian. He told Glamour that Kardashian's ex-wife Kris Jenner helped him prepare for the role: "[She] told me that he was a man of great faith. That suddenly unlocked everything for me, including the choices he made. That really moved me. He wasn't just using his intellect because he's a lawyer."
David Schwimmer Is A Terrible Neighbor
Ross Geller was the one character on Friends that seemed like he'd be difficult to deal with and it turned out that the same could be said for real life. In 2013, David Schwimmer upset the entire neighborhood of New York City's East Village when he decided to demolish his recently-purchased 19th-century townhouse to build a completely new one in its place.
They were not only angry at the huge inconveniences it caused, but also the fact that he tore down a historical building. Someone even wrote "ROSS IS NOT COOL" on a fence next to the construction site!
