Schwimm lesson

Best known as the bumbling, monkey-keeping, serial romantic Dr. Ross Geller from Friends, David Schwimmer recently copped a squat in the director’s chair for his first feature-length film, Run, Fat Boy, Run. Good for Ross, er, Schwimmer for trying his hand behind the camera. But—sorry, bro!—we kinda lost interest after the Friends crew ceased sipping lattes at Central Perk. Happily, the complete series lives on in our hearts and minds on DVD, and the Rembrandts remain in heavy iPod rotation. Talking to Schwimmer on the phone before Fat Boy’s premiere, we found him surprisingly unsympathetic to our undying affection for his’90s oeuvre.

Trump On Chicago: I can’t believe I’m talking to Ross!
David Schwimmer: Well, you’re not, actually.

TOC: Well, I am—sort of.
David Schwimmer: What do you mean?

TOC: Okay, I’m going to go further back in your career. Tell me: What was it like working with child-prodigy Fred Savage on The Wonder Years?
David Schwimmer: [Laughs] I mean, that was like my first real break. I loved the show and I had a great time. It was certainly a lesson coming from theater in Chicago.

TOC: Wait—you did theater in Chicago?
David Schwimmer: Are you kidding?

TOC: No.
David Schwimmer: Uh, yeah. So, I went to Northwestern University.

TOC: In Evanston?
David Schwimmer: Uh…yeah. And I started a theater company here in Chicago called Lookingglass.

TOC: Oh, like Lookingglass Alice?
David Schwimmer: Yeah. Anyway, Wonder Years was one of my first gigs.

TOC: Was Daniel Stern there at all?
David Schwimmer: No…no.

TOC: Because you know he did the voice of Fred Savage’s adult self.
David Schwimmer: Yeah, that’s right. Yeah.

TOC: So how did you get the role on Friends?
David Schwimmer: Uh, well, I continued auditioning in L.A. and doing theater in Chicago and waiting tables for about seven years.

TOC: What restaurants did you wait tables for in Chicago?
David Schwimmer: Ed Debevic’s.

TOC: So you were an asshole.
David Schwimmer: No. My character was called Romeo, a roller-skating waiter. I was more the suave romancer, if you must know. Then, basically I was in Chicago doing a play with Lookingglass when I got a call about the Friends script.

TOC: Do you have a favorite Friends moment?
David Schwimmer: Uh, I hope we’re going to talk about my movie at some point.

TOC: Sure.
David Schwimmer: I don’t really know. There were many great moments. [Sighs deeply.]

TOC: Come on. There wasn’t one that sticks out? I have tons in my memory.
David Schwimmer: Uh, I think one of my favorites would be the blackout episode.

TOC: You and Rachel hooked up, huh?
David Schwimmer: Yeah, pretty much.

TOC: Remember when Rachel’s haircut was everywhere? My mom totally had a “Rachel.”
David Schwimmer: You know what? I think I’d feel more comfortable talking about Friends after we talk about my movie because I know we have very little time.

TOC: We have 20 minutes—plenty of time.
David Schwimmer: Yeah, that’s what I mean. We haven’t talked about my movie. [Hangs up.]

We love a good April Fool's joke, and so did David, who also gave us a real interview about Run Fat Boy Run.

Is this some kind of joke? Yes, actually. The above was part of TOC's 2008 April Fool's issue. Read more about it here.

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