From IMDB.com
Born in New York and raised in Los Angeles, Schwimmer
was encouraged by a high school instructor to attend a summer
program in acting at Northwestern University. Inspired by
that experience, he returned to Northwestern where he received
a bachelor's degree in speech/theater. In 1988, along with
seven other Northwestern graduates, he co-founded Chicago's
Looking glass Theatre Company.
From AllMovieGuide.com
If one were to base one's judgment of David Schwimmer's
talent on his low-key performance as the anxious, awkward
but lovable paleontologist Ross on NBC's smash hit comedy
Friends, one might never suspect that beneath the affable
exterior lies a versatile, multi-talented actor and filmmaker.
Tall, dark-haired, and lanky, Schwimmer was born in Queens,
but later raised in Southern California, where he attended
the famed Beverly Hills High School. He then enrolled in Chicago's
Northwestern University, where he briefly considered pursuing
his family's traditional profession and becoming a lawyer,
but by that time, the acting bug had bitten him deeply and
he was committed to it.
Following graduation from Northwestern, Schwimmer gained
enough stage experience in Chicago theater to co-found the
Lookingglass Theatre Company with fellow actors. Schwimmer
remains passionate about his involvement with the troupe and
has starred in or directed many of their productions.
In 1989, he made the first of several attempts to break into
Hollywood, when he was cast as a killer in the made-for-TV
thriller A Deadly Silence. It was apparently an unpleasant
experience and the young actor hastened back to the familiarity
of Lookingglass.
Still, the lure of Hollywood was great and Schwimmer returned
to guest star and play recurring roles on several television
series. One of his best-known early TV roles was that of Olivia
D'Abo's hippie fiancé on The Wonder Years.
On the gritty crime drama NYPD Blue, he garnered critical
acclaim for his portrayal of a lawyer who goes over the edge
and becomes a vigilante. He had another bad television experience
when he was cast opposite Henry Winkler in Fox's sitcom Monty.
The series crashed before it got off the ground and Schwimmer
swore he'd never do another comedy show. Up until 1994, he
continued to play a wide variety of roles and to divide his
time between stage and television.
Despite his earlier vow, Schwimmer reluctantly accepted the
role of Ross in Friends, a role that the show's creators wrote
especially for him. The series, about a group of good-looking,
but rather aimless buddies in their twenties, was an immediate
hit and Schwimmer's lovable nerd character made him a star
and got him an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor in
a Comedy Series
With his newfound stardom came offers for feature film roles.
Though he had actually begun appearing in films in 1990, he
had, thus far, played only small roles. He made his debut
as a star playing a virtual clone of Ross in the Pallbearer
(1996).
He played a dramatic role as one of the inventors of silicon
breast implants in the made-for-television docudrama Breast
Men (1997). Schwimmer signed a lucrative contract with Miramax
that will not only star him in several pictures, but also
allow him to direct.
From David Schwimmer Fan Site
David was born in Queens, New York the
12th November 1966, but was raised in Los Angeles.
His first acting experience was when he enrolled in a high
school drama class. After completion of the course, the instructor
encouraged him to attend a summer program in acting at Northwestern
University. "I was sold on acting after that summer workshop
because of my experience at Northwestern. It was both enlightening
and exhilarating." David says.
After graduation he returned to Northwestern, where he recieved
a B.S. degree in speech/theater. And in 1988, David, along
with seven other graduates from Northwestern, founded Chicago's
Lookingglass Theater Company, an ensemble of actors, writers
and directors. David, who is a writer and director too, says
that the company "possesses a unique combination of talent,
drawing its strength from training in the classics, acrobatics,
gymnastics, dance and music."
David's stage-acting credits with Lookingglass include "West,"
"The Odyssey," "Of One Blood," "In
the Eye of the Beholder" and "The Master and Margarita."
His stage-directing credits include "The Jungle,"
which earned six Joseph Jefferson Awards; "The Serpent";
and "Alice in Wonderland," which was performed at
the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.
David made a brief foray into television in 1989, when he
was cast as a murderous boyfriend in a TV movie, "A Deadly
Silence", but this first Hollywood experience was so
dreadful that David returned to Chicago and immersed himself
in Lookingglass productions.
In 1993, David made his debut as a television-series regular
on the comedy "Monty". In the debut season of "Friends",
David's performance as "Ross" earned him an Emmy
Award nomination as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Series. When the producers of "Friends" were trolling
Holywood's talent pool for attractive twentysomething actors,
David var already in their net. The soon-to-be hit sitcom's
creators designed the role "Ross Geller" with David
in mind, and they cast him without an audition. David's acting
experience was not misguided. "Friends" rocketed
up the ratings. Audiences loved "Ross", and David
assumed star status.
Ironically, David accepted "Friends'" casting invitation
with reluctance, for he had promised himself no more sitcoms
after the miserable experience in "Monty".
But Los Angeles still beckoned, and David continued to dabble
in television. Between plays, he found recurring roles on
several series, including "The Wonder Years", "L.A.
Law", "NYPD Blue" and a guest-starring role
on NBC's "The Single Guy." He also hosted Montreal's
"13th Annual Just for Laughs Festival." These roles
ranged from "lovin' hippie to hatin'" vigilante,
and represented a diversity of characters that David hasn't
enjoyed since "Friends" debuted.
By the time the first "Friends" hiatus rolled around,
David had thirty scripts to choose from for his starring cinematic
debut. He and his agents chose a "Ross-like" role
in "The Pallbearer", a dark comedy co-starring Gwyneth
Paltrow. He followed up the somewhat disappointing outing
with a starring role in the witty, if routine, romantic comedy
"Kissing A Fool", and with a supporting turn as
a counselor in the Stephen King adaptation "Apt Pupil".
His feature films are "Crossing the Bridge", "Flight
of the Intruder" and "Twenty Bucks".
In 1998 David took the chance to direct a low-key ensemble
comedy from Miramax, titled "Since You've Been Gone",
where he also appears in the film, as a smarmy master of ceremonies.
The production's cast includes a handful of Lookingglass members,
many of whom David has previously directed on-stage. Miramax
has faith in David's future in Hollywood, and is wagering
a seven-digit, multi-picture deal that there is more to the
"Friends" breakout star than just a lovable hangdog
expression.
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Born
in New York and raised in Los Angeles, Schwimmer was encouraged
by a high school instructor to attend a summer program in acting
at Northwestern University. Inspired by that experience, he
returned to Northwestern where he received a bachelor's degree
in speech/theater. In 1988, along with seven other Northwestern
graduates, he co-founded Chicago's Looking glass Theatre Company.