David Schwimmer became a Hollywood sensation while starring as the lovably nerdy paleontologist
Ross Geller on the iconic sitcom Friends.
Not only did the show allow him to stretch his legs as both an actor and a director,
but his newfound fame meant he could probably have his pick of film and future TV opportunities
after the series finale aired.
Fast forward a decade and a half from that fateful final episode, and Schwimmer's career
is but a shadow of what some of his co-stars have accomplished since the days at Central
Perk.
"Life without me ah-sucks."
So, why hasn't he enjoyed the same kind of fame as some of his peers?
Here are some theories as to why David Schwimmer's career seems to have sunk.
The fame game
While most celebrities would be thrilled about the prospect of being an overnight A-lister,
David Schwimmer wasn't so keen on the limelight.
"It made me want to hide under a baseball cap and not be seen…
I was trying to figure out: How do I be an actor in this new world?"
So, instead of pursuing the next step up the ladder of screen success, Schwimmer opted
to stay behind the camera for a while.
He's since directed two feature films called Run Fatboy Run and Trust, and has directed
episodes of Little Britain USA and Joey, Matt LeBlanc's failed Friends spin-off.
And while he has made some choice small screen cameos, he was very choosy about signing up
for anything long-term.
"I'm not totally ruling it out.
It's just, if I'm going to do another series, it's gotta be something fresh."
Little seen successes
Even for those projects where Schwimmer has decided to grace the big screen, his work
went largely unnoticed.
For example, his first post-Friends project, 2005's Duane Hopwood, was a feature film that
earned him decent marks for his grip on drama.
But the indie flick saw only a limited release after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival.
His first silver screen success would arrive with 2005's Madagascar, and for that film
series, he was heard and not seen.
Returning to the stage
Schwimmer further distanced himself from Hollywood when he returned to his first love: the theatre.
In 2005, he made his West End debut, starring as a man who's about to get married in Neil
LaBute's comedy Some Girl(s).
He told The Independent:
"I'm sure there will be people … saying it's just Ross up there.
And I'll take that … really hard actually."
Indeed, some reviewers felt that his performance was so similar to his sitcom work that the
role was pretty pointless.
But Schwimmer still continued pursuing stage work, making his Broadway debut in The Caine
Mutiny Court-Martial in 2006, appearing in Chicago's Our Town in 2009, and going Off-Broadway
with Detroit in 2012.
Hit and miss
AMC's Feed the Beast marked Schwimmer's first starring role on television since Friends
and featured him as Tommy Moran, an alcoholic widower, father and restaurant owner who suddenly
finds himself involved in a Bronx crime ring.
And while the series might've allowed the actor to show off his dramatic chops, it failed
to warm over enough audiences to earn a second season.
But perhaps that show's early cancellation was a blessing in disguise, because his next
role would really bring Schwimmer back into the pop culture fold.
In 2016, Schwimmer starred as infamous O.J. Simpson attorney Robert Kardashian in FX's
star-studded American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson.
Not only was his performance chillingly accurate and entertaining, but he also earned a second
Emmy nomination for the role.
So, while Schwimmer's still busy directing play projects and starring in short films,
there's a good chance we haven't seen the last of his small screen magic just yet.
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