It can be said that Friends is one of the most beloved and iconic American sitcoms. From its first season, the show skyrocketed to fame, turning its cast members into overnight celebrities. The premise revolved around six friends navigating life in New York City, providing support and forming a close-knit family. While any actor would have been thrilled to be a part of the long-running hit show, David Schwimmer, who portrayed ‘Ross Geller,’ had a different experience.
Friends premiered in 1994 with its talented cast: Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, and David Schwimmer as Ross Geller. Following the first season, these six actors became immensely famous, and their characters became synonymous with their names. However, this instant stardom wasn’t a pleasant experience for David Schwimmer, as he discovered that it isolated him from the real world.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, David Schwimmer described his time on Friends as “pretty jarring.” He acknowledged that it affected his relationships with others and took years for him to adjust and feel comfortable again. The actor explained that he couldn’t interact with people as a normal person anymore, stating, “The effect of celebrity was the absolute opposite: It made me want to hide under a baseball cap and not be seen.” He further revealed that he stopped observing people and started trying to conceal himself instead.
It appears that Schwimmer was also worried about his acting career and being typecast after playing the same character for a decade. He noted that there’s less of a barrier for big movie stars, as their roles change in every film. In contrast, on Friends, he played the same person for ten years, which created a certain expectation from the audience. Schwimmer emphasized this by saying, “You can rely on me to be a certain way, and you know me—or you think you know me.”
For those unfamiliar, the producers of Friends revealed that Schwimmer was the first actor to be cast because they specifically wrote the character Ross Geller with him in mind. Besides his work on the show and in movies, David has also lent his voice to iconic characters in the Madagascar animated film series. To stay updated with more stories, tune in to Celebtrends.