'I'm up for anything different'
After being so well-known as Ross from Friends, David Schwimmer continues to pivot his career — and now he's turning to horror for the second series of Disney's spooky drama, Goosebumps
Disney Plus
- George White
The second season of Goosebumps is on Disney+ from Friday 10 January. Add to your watchlist.
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Despite a decades-spanning filmography that varies from children’s animation to hard-hitting dramas, David Schwimmer is known by many as one character and one character only – Ross from Friends. Spot the New Yorker in Intelligence or American Crime Story and it’s tough not to expect him to yell "Pivot!".
Yet for Schwimmer, after 10 years starring in arguably the most popular sitcom of all time, shifting gears has been an important focus of the performer’s post-Friends career.
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Next up? The role of scientist Anthony in Disney+'s young-adult horror Goosebumps: The Vanishing, who gets swept up in a chilling conspiracy as the series progresses. Anthony requires a largely more stripped-back display, in the early stages at least, from Schwimmer, marking a far cry from the often rambunctious unagi-yelling Ross – and this change of pace, in a whole new genre for the star, is what drew him to the role.
"With Ross, I played the character for 10 years. That was a good chunk of my life. So it's kind of natural to look for things that are, you know, very different," he explains.
Courteney Cox, Helen Baxendale and David Schwimmer in Friends Warner Bros./SEAC
"I've never been able to act in this genre and this specific tone, and I'm such a fan of a variety of tones. I love horror films, I love action-comedy, so this had a specific sweet spot that I think is really hard to do, and I'm really impressed with how the whole creative team, the production team, really nailed it.
"Because it's horror, it’s action-comedy, but there's also, hopefully, if we did our jobs right, a real emotional grounding to all the characters and the relationships.
"That’s certainly the case for my character and my family, and as an actor, the challenge is, OK, knowing this is the world, this is the tone, what is the best way to approach it?"
Nick Mohammed as Joseph and David Schwimmer as Jerry in Intelligence. Sky
He continues: "And I found in this to underplay most of it is the best way, because everything around you is so, at times, big, larger-than-life, that I found, OK, I think the best way is to often just underplay everything."
Being known for one particular role can be a challenge for some performers, who may become pigeonholed into one area of the screen industry after their big break. Other actors like Daniel Radcliffe and Robert Pattinson, for example, became well-known for specific characters (Harry Potter and Twilight’s Edward Cullen respectively), but have since taken bold swings in an attempt to forge careers away from the franchises that made their name. Is Schwimmer doing a similar thing?
"I guess, yeah," he admits. "By the way, those are terrific actors, and I love the work that they're doing and the risks that they're taking. I would love similar opportunities. I guess I'm up for anything different, anything that's a real challenge."
That is, if parental responsibilities allow.
"I don't really have an agenda or anything, and it's not all for me at this stage of my life, to be honest. It's more about a work-life balance as a dad," laughs Schwimmer. "So, you know, there are a lot of factors now that go into it."
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Could we see the 58-year-old starring in the next film from Nosferatu director Robert Eggers, then, or taking on an iconic eccentric musician? Who knows. We guess it depends on the school run.
Authors
George WhiteSub-Editor
George White is a Sub-Editor for Radio Times. He was previously a reporter for the Derby Telegraph and was the editor of LeftLion magazine. As well as receiving an MA in Magazine Journalism, he completed a BA in Politics and International Relations.
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