David Schwimmer age, height, daughter, wife, career path, Friends 2025

David Schwimmer's Biography

David Schwimmer is a celebrated American actor, theater, and film director. He rose to fame for his role as Ross Geller in the iconic TV show "Friends" and voicing the character Melman the Giraffe in the "Madagascar" movies. Audiences adore him as a brilliant comedic actor with his own distinctive style.

Early Life

David Schwimmer was born on November 2, 1966, in New York City to a Jewish family of Arthur Schwimmer and Arlene Coleman. Both parents were high-powered lawyers – his mother handled celebrity divorces while his father specialized in appeals. David wasn't an only child – he has an older sister named Ellie. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Los Angeles.

There, he attended Beverly Hills High School and started performing in plays from an early age, including "The Diary of Anne Frank." David also attended Shakespeare seminars led by Sir Ian McKellen and took part in a Shakespeare festival, winning twice. By graduation, he knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life.

After enrolling at Northwestern University's theater department, he continued to hone his acting skills. During college, Schwimmer connected with many talented actors. After graduating in 1988, they founded their own theater company, "Lookingglass," in Chicago. The theater's most memorable productions include "The Jungle" (for which Schwimmer won the Joseph Jefferson Award for direction in 1991) and "Alice in Wonderland."

Acting Career

David made his on-screen debut in 1989. John Patterson, director of the TV thriller "A Deadly Silence," gave the aspiring actor a small part. In 1990, Schwimmer appeared in the action movie "Flight of the Intruder" alongside Danny Glover and Willem Dafoe and in the TV show "Blossom." He mostly snagged small parts, but the young actor stayed optimistic and kept auditioning.

David Schwimmer in the comedy 'Twenty Bucks'

From 1992 to 1993, things stayed pretty much the same, with David taking on supporting roles. He appeared in the TV series "NYPD Blue," the drama "Crossing the Bridge," and the comedy "Twenty Bucks." In 1994, Schwimmer's fortunes shifted when director Robbie Benson cast him in a starring role in the TV series "Monty." Later that year, he made a brief appearance in the dramatic thriller "Wolf," starring Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer.

But real stardom hit David in 1994 with the launch of the hit sitcom "Friends," which quickly became iconic. The show about six quirky friends navigating life in New York turned the entire cast into household names. Interestingly, show director and producer Kevin Bright had Schwimmer in mind for the role of nerdy paleontologist Ross Geller from the start, which is why he was cast first.

On set, David met Courteney Cox, who played his sister Monica, as well as Jennifer Aniston (Rachel), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe), Matt LeBlanc (Joey), and Matthew Perry (Chandler). Schwimmer looks back fondly on those days and says that off-screen, the cast really did become close friends.

Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer in 'Friends'

In 1995, the role earned David an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Unlike his co-stars, Schwimmer also stepped behind the camera to direct several "Friends" episodes. He helmed 10 episodes that fans absolutely loved. Later, he directed some episodes of the show's spin-off "Joey" (2004-2006).

Top 10 Ross Moments

"Friends" ran for a decade and became one of the biggest hits of the '90s. It completely changed the sitcom landscape. The show became a cultural phenomenon, with its characters defining a generation and winning over millions of fans.

David Schwimmer Picks a Side on Friends' We Were on a Break Debate

Almost overnight, David Schwimmer became a massive star. The actor admits that at first, dealing with sudden fame was tough. In public, fans would swarm him, rushing up to the star with excited screams. Even now, Schwimmer doesn't love being recognized on the street and sometimes tries to avoid eye contact with passersby.

As his fame grew, David landed leading roles in major projects. In 1996, he starred in Matt Reeves' comedy "The Pallbearer" alongside Gwyneth Paltrow. Schwimmer played an immature guy who gets roped into attending a stranger's funeral by a mysterious woman from his past.

Gwyneth Paltrow and David Schwimmer in 'The Pallbearer'

In 1998, Schwimmer starred alongside Jason Lee and Mili Avital in the romantic comedy "Kissing a Fool". That same summer, Ivan Reitman cast Schwimmer in a lead role in the adventure comedy "Six Days, Seven Nights." The movie, beloved by audiences, also starred Harrison Ford and Anne Heche.

David Schwimmer and Anne Heche in 'Six Days, Seven Nights'

In 2005, Schwimmer took on dramatic territory in "Duane Hopwood," playing a divorced alcoholic. During filming, he struck up a friendship with actor John Krasinski.

Duane Hopwood (David Schwimmer) - emotions

That spring, David voiced the giraffe Melman in the animated movie "Madagascar". He continued to voice the character in all subsequent parts of the successful series, working alongside comedic talents Chris Rock and Ben Stiller.

David Schwimmer: Madagascar Voice Interview

In 2007, David Schwimmer directed his first film - the comedy "Run Fatboy Run" starring Simon Pegg and Dylan Moran. His directorial debut earned him an Independent Film Award nomination for "Best Directorial Debut." The following year, he played a key role in the crime thriller "Nothing but the Truth", alongside Kate Beckinsale and Matt Dillon.

David Schwimmer and Kate Beckinsale in the thriller 'Nothing but the Truth'

In 2010, Schwimmer tried his hand at directing again and released the drama "Trust" with Clive Owen in the lead role. The film introduced audiences to a once-happy family that experienced a tragedy. In 2012, Schwimmer had a cameo in the adventure action movie "John Carter". In 2014, David Schwimmer directed several episodes of the comedy TV series "Growing Up Fisher" starring J.K. Simmons.

David Schwimmer Skittles Super Bowl Commercial 2018

In 2016, David Schwimmer had a supporting role in Ryan Murphy's series "American Crime Story", earning him an Emmy nomination. That same year, he starred in a series about the restaurant business, "Feed the Beast", alongside Jim Sturgess.

Feed the Beast Exclusive Clip: Why Is David Schwimmer Literally Burning Cash?

David Schwimmer's Personal Life

The talented actor had several high-profile relationships after "Friends" made him a household name. His first high-profile relationship was with actress Mili Avital, whom he met during the shooting of "Kissing a Fool" (1998). The relationship lasted until 2001.

Later, Schwimmer dated singer Natalie Imbruglia and model Gina Lee. But it was photographer Zoe Buckman who finally made him want to settle down when they met in 2007. At that time, she was working as a waitress in a London nightclub, where they met. The couple got engaged in 2010 and tied the knot that same year. A year later, their daughter Cleo was born.

David Schwimmer and Zoe Buckman with their daughter

In 2017, after ten years together, Schwimmer announced he and his wife were separating. Though they never got back together, they've remained close friends. For instance, in the summer of 2020, they both attended the Black Lives Matter march in New York.

David Schwimmer with his ex-wife at the BLM march

David Schwimmer Now

These days, Schwimmer focuses on raising his daughter and keeps a low profile in Hollywood. He did make an exception for "Friends: The Reunion", which filmed in April 2021.

In 2023, he featured in an episode of the anthology series "Extrapolations", which deals with humanity's future issues.

A scene from the series 'Extrapolations'