Birthdate: November 12, 1966 Birthplace: Queens, New York Occupations: Actor, Director, Writer Quote: "It's really important to me not to be known as Ross when I'm 60." - Entertainment Weekly, April 1996

Claim to Fame: Plays Ross Geller on the hit NBC comedy sitcom, Friends (1994-present)

Significant Other(s):
Mili Avital, actress
Natalie Imbruglia, singer; together 1996-97
Sarah Trimble, law clerk; together 1993-96

Family:
Father: Arthur Schwimmer, appellate lawyer; married 1964
Mother: Arlene Coleman-Schwimmer, attorney; handled divorces of Roseanne, Julianne Phillips and Elizabeth Taylor; born 1940
Sister: Ellie Schwimmer, born 1965

Biography
Tall and gangly, Schwimmer first gained notice with his portrayal of an uptight lawyer turned vigilante on the initial episodes of the ABC drama NYPD Blue. A graduate of Chicago's Northwestern University, Schwimmer began his career in Chicago theater, co-founding The Lookingglass Theater Company with fellow alums, before heading to L.A. There he entered TV with guest spots on the coming-of-age comedy-drama The Wonder Years (as the fiance of Olivia d'Abo) and L.A. Law in addition to NYPD Blue. After floundering in the failed Henry Winkler-vehicle Monty (Fox, 1993-94), Schwimmer flourished on the ensemble sitcom Friends (NBC, 1994-). As Ross, the heartbroken hopeless romantic of the group, Schwimmer's anxious delivery coupled with a boyish and somewhat nebbishy manner made him a standout on the show.

Schwimmer made his feature film debut in the supporting role of John in Crossing the Bridge (1992), a coming-of-age story set in the mid-1970s. He also appeared in the short film The Waiter (1993) with Jon Cryer and Sally Kellerman. Schwimmer played his first leading role as an architect asked to deliver the eulogy for a high school friend he doesn't remember in The Pallbearer (1996). But like several of his co-stars, he has yet to find that breakout big screen role. The lame comedy Kissing a Fool had a brief theatrical run while Schwimmer seemed miscast as Anne Heche's fiance in the uneven Six Days, Seven Nights (both 1998). He proved more effective as a school counselor duped by Brad Renfro in Apt Pupil (also 1998) but was overshadowed by co-star Ian McKellen's excellent turn as a former Nazi.

Filmography
Uprising (2001)
Hotel (2001)
Picking Up the Pieces (2000)
Since You've Been Gone (1999)
All The Rage (1999)
Apt Pupil (1998)
Kissing A Fool (1998)
Six Days, Seven Nights (1998)
Breast Men (1997)
The Pallbearer (1996)
Wolf (1994)
Friends (TV series) (1994)
Twenty Bucks (1993)
Crossing the Bridge (1992)
The Flight of the Intruder (1990)
 

Awards:
1995: Screen Actors Guild Award: Outstanding Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Series, Friends; shared award with series cast

Factoids:
Made acting debut as the fairy godmother in a Jewish version of Cinderella (1977)

Education:
Beverly Hills High School, Beverly Hills, California (classmate of actor Jonathan Silverman)
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois; B.S., Speech, 1988; cofounded Lookingglass Theatre during senior year

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