Hollywood Filmmakers Were Only Asking For David Schwimmer Among The Cast Of Friends, But The Actor F
David Schwimmer was the last of the main six to be hired on Friends. Negotiations with the actor proved to be a little more difficult but ultimately, the terms were met and there was no better match for the role of Ross.
Although his contributions were evident on-camera, they might've been even greater behind the scenes. Schwimmer was viewed as a leader among the cast, and also took a liking to producing.
In the following, we're going to take a closer look at how Schimmer dealt with his fame, and the fact that he was receiving lots of gigs outside of Friends early on. Heck, he was even rumored to appear in Men In Black at one point in time. The cast of Friends agrees that the actor could not have handled things any better.
Let's take a closer look.
Matthew Perry Agreed That David Schwimmer Was The Standout Early On
In his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew Perry made some major reveals in regard to his relationship alongside David Schwimmer. Perry revealed that David was the first breakout star of the group, and that was evidenced by his gigs outside of Friends early on.
"During that first year — David's year — he showed up one day at my dressing room," Perry recalled. "He had brought an original hangdog expression to his character and was just damn funny. He was also the first one of us to shoot a commercial, be on 'The Tonight Show,' buy a house, get his own movie. He was the hot guy that first year, and rightly so. He had been hilarious."
According to Perry, not once did the fame get to Schwimmer and instead, it was very much the opposite. The actor fought for the rest of his co-stars and wound up getting everyone on the show the same pay.
"When we renegotiate our contracts, we should do it as a team. We should all get paid the same amount."
"He was by far the one in the best position to negotiate," Perry wrote in his memoir. "I could not believe what he was saying. Needless to say, I was thrilled. I was perfectly happy to take advantage of his generosity of spirit."
Schwimmer was well aware of his circumstances and fame because of the show. However, the actor was able to pivot differently, ensuring the others were covered as well.
David Schwimmer Admitted To Getting The Most Offers At The Start From Hollywood Among The Cast, But Wanted To Ensure That Everyone Was An Equal
Success in the world of film followed for the rest of the cast along the way as well. However, David Schwimmer was the chosen one at the start, and he was well aware of his success.
He revealed, "For whatever reason, I was 'the breakout.' I was the guy who had the movie offers — everyone since has had their time, their moment, but I was the first when the show started."
For Schwimmer, it was all about ensuring things were done fairly. According to the actor, the six main stars were equally putting in the same amount of work during their stint on the series.
"The six of us are all leads on the show. We are all here for the same amount of hours. The story lines are always balanced."
The cast ended up smashing a TV record at the time, making $1 million each per episode. The loyalty among the cast held true for the royalty deal as well, with the six main stars pocketing $20 million per year since the show came to an end. As far as the other cast members go, the way everything played out was extremely fair.
Jennifer Aniston Didn't Feel Comfortable Making More Than Other Cast Members Either
Both Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox agreed, everyone on the show needed to be treated as equals given their work rate.
"We're all doing the exact same amount of work," Aniston said. "I wouldn't have felt comfortable knowing I was making more."
"We all felt that way," Cox added. "I thought it was the most important thing — as we all did — that we all were equal in every single way. That was the first time that people had all stuck together in a cast. I think it was scary, probably, for productions after that."
Lisa Kudrow added, "We didn't engender bitterness or rivalry within each other," she said. "We were nothing by support for each other, especially the girls, but also the guys — all six of us."
Schwimmer would go on to enjoy work both in front and behind the camera, while Jennifer Aniston was ultimately the breakout star in the world of film. Courteney Cox also enjoyed success in some major box office films such as Scream.
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