David Schwimmer

**David Lawrence Schwimmer** (born November 2, 1966) is an acclaimed American actor, director, comedian, and producer. He achieved worldwide recognition for his portrayal of Ross Geller in the hugely popular sitcom *Friends*, leading to a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. During his time on *Friends*, he secured his first leading film role in *The Pallbearer* (1996), followed by roles in *Kissing a Fool, Six Days, Seven Nights, Apt Pupil* and *Picking Up the Pieces*. Notably, Schwimmer was also part of the eminent miniseries *Band of Brothers* (2001) playing Herbert Sobel. Schwimmer's journey in acting began in school plays at Beverly Hills High School, after which he graduated from Northwestern University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts in theater and speech. Subsequently, he co-founded the Lookingglass Theatre Company and lived through a period of struggle in Los Angeles before stardom hit with a role in the television movie *A Deadly Silence* in 1989. After the conclusion of *Friends*, Schwimmer diversified into film and stage work, voiced Melman the Giraffe in the animated *Madagascar* film franchise, and made his directorial debut with *Run Fatboy Run.* He played lawyer Robert Kardashian in *The People v. O. J. Simpson*, earning his second Primetime Emmy Award nomination.