David Schwimmer
(Ross Gueller)
Date of Birth: 2-11
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David Schwimmer |
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In the debut season (1994-95) of
Friends, David Schwimmer's performance as Ross, a sensitive, hopeless romantic,
earned him an Emmy nomination as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Series. Born in Queens and raised in Los Angeles, Schwimmer was first exposed to
acting when he enrolled in a high-school drama class on a whim. After he
completed the course, an instructor encouraged him to attend a summer program in
acting at Northwestern University in Chicago. After his graduation from high
school he returned to Northwestern, where he received a bachelor's degree in
speech/theater. In 1988, Schwimmer, along with seven other Northwestern
graduates, founded Chicago's Lookingglass Theater Company-an ensemble of actors,
writers, directors and designers dedicated to creating vibrant new works for the
American stage. Schwimmer says the company, which is now 20 members strong,
"possesses a unique combination of talent, drawing its strength from
training in the classics, acrobatics, gymnastics, dance and music."
Schwimmer's stage-acting credits with Lookingglass include a recent production
of Dostoyevsky's The Idiot, as well as The Master and Margarita, In the Eye of
the Beholder, West, Of One Blood and The Odyssey. His stage-directing credits
include The Jungle, which he also adapted and which earned six Joseph Jefferson
Awards; The Serpent; and Alice in Wonderland, which toured to the Edinburgh
Festival in Scotland. In addition, Schwimmer earned critical acclaim for his
starring role as a devious screenwriter in the 1997 hit play D Girl, staged in
Los Angeles. In 1993, Schwimmer made his debut as a television series
regular on the comedy Monty with Henry Winkler. His other television credits
include recurring roles on such series as NYPD Blue, L.A. Law and The Wonder
Years. His feature-film acting credits include Kissing a Fool, The Pallbearer,
Since You've Been Gone (which he also directed), Twenty Bucks, Crossing the
Bridge and, most recently, Ivan Reitman's Six Days, Seven Nights, starring
opposite Harrison Ford and Anne Heche. Schwimmer also co-stars in the upcoming
Apt Pupil, adapted from a Stephen King novella. In addition, Schwimmer starred
in the critically acclaimed cable film Breast Men. In his spare time, Schwimmer
plays softball, basketball, ping-pong and poker with his buddies. He has
residences in Los Angeles and Chicago. His birthday is November 2.