David Schwimmer revealed savage reason he initially turned down 'Friends' role
It's almost impossible to imagine Friends without David Schwimmer playing Ross Geller, but it turns out the actor originally wanted absolutely nothing to do with the sitcom.
Can you imagine the regret if he hadn't changed his mind and then had to watch it become a roaring success?
The beloved comedy, which first aired in 1994, went on to become one of the biggest television shows of all time, turning its six leading actors into household names.
While millions of viewers fell in love with Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe, one of the show's most recognisable characters very nearly ended up being played by somebody else.
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The reason Schwimmer initially rejected the opportunity was pretty brutal.
According to Saul Austerlitz's book Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era, the actor had become so fed up with working in television that he wasn't even interested in reading another script.
In fact, the show's creators, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, had written the character of Ross specifically with Schwimmer in mind.
They were apparently so convinced he'd be perfect for the role that they were prepared to offer it to him without an audition.
Not a bad position to be in as a relatively unknown actor.
However, there was one rather significant problem.
As Austerlitz explained: "Schwimmer did not want to do the show. More than that, he did not want to do any more television at all." Ouch.
His reluctance stemmed from a particularly unpleasant experience working on the short-lived Fox sitcom Monty, which starred Henry Winkler.
The series was cancelled after just 12 episodes, but the experience had already put Schwimmer off the industry.
Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2020, the actor explained just how sad he'd been.
"I had a miserable experience on my first job as a series regular," he recalled.
He went on to explain that he felt his creative input wasn't valued, adding: "Basically I felt like a prop. Just shut up and say the line."
Understandably, that wasn't something he was particularly keen to repeat.
Instead, Schwimmer wanted to concentrate on Lookingglass Theatre Company, the Chicago-based theatre group he'd co-founded, rather than risk another disappointing television project.
With their first choice refusing to get involved, the Friends creators began considering other actors.
Among those who auditioned was Noah Wyle, who would eventually find fame playing Dr John Carter in the medical drama ER.
Eric McCormack, who later starred in Will & Grace, was also considered, alongside Mitchell Whitfield, who ended up playing Rachel's former fiancé Barry.
Fortunately for Schwimmer, the creators weren't quite ready to give up on him.
Eventually, his agent persuaded him to read the script, and he discovered something that made the project considerably more appealing.
Unlike his previous television experience, Friends was designed around an ensemble cast, meaning there wouldn't be one actor dominating the show.
It was a setup much closer to the collaborative theatre environment he enjoyed.
Legendary television director James Burrows also contacted Schwimmer and encouraged him to meet the team.
When the actor discovered that Ross had been written specifically for him, he finally changed his mind.
"When I heard that they wrote this part with me in mind, I was like, 'OK. Yeah. Let's do this,'" he later explained.
"It's the biggest compliment ever."
Thankfully, his change of heart paid off.
Friends ran for 10 seasons before ending in 2004, and the series became a worldwide phenomenon, with Ross's famously disastrous love life providing some of its most memorable moments.
Schwimmer has since spoken about the difficulties of dealing with the enormous fame that followed, but his initial rejection remains a fascinating piece of television history.
After all, imagine someone else shouting "We were on a break!"
Topics: Friends, Entertainment, TV And Film
Jen Thomas