DAVID SCHWIMMER

In the debut season (1994-95) of "Friends," David Schwimmer's performance as Ross, a sensitive, hopeless romantic, earned him an Emmy Award nomination as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Born in New York and raised in Los Angeles, Schwimmer was encouraged by a high school instructor to attend a summer program in acting at Northwestern University.  Inspired by that experience, he returned to Northwestern where he received a bachelor's degree in speech/theatre.  In 1988, along with seven other Northwestern graduates, he co-founded Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre Company, an ensemble of actors, writers, directors and designers now 20 members strong, dedicated to creating vibrant new works for the American stage.

Schwimmer's stage acting credits with Lookingglass include Dostoyevsky's "The Idiot," as well as "The Master and Margarita," "Arabian Nights," "In the Eye of the Beholder," "West," "Of One Blood" and "The Odyssey."  In addition, he starred in the premieres of Roger Kumble's "D Girl" in Los Angeles and Warren Leight's "Glimmer Brothers" in Williamstown.

Schwimmer's stage directing credits include his adaptation of "The Jungle," by Upton Sinclair, which received six Joseph Jefferson Awards; "The Serpent"; and "Alice in Wonderland," which toured the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.  He also directed the feature film "Since You've Been Gone" and continues to direct episodes of "Friends."

Schwimmer appeared in Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg's HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers," which was based on a book by World War II historian Stephen Ambrose about an Army rifle company that parachuted into France on D-Day.  Schwimmer also had a role in "It's the Rage," with Gary Sinise, Giovanni Ribisi, Joan Allen and Andre Braugher.

Schwimmer's other film credits include "Picking Up the Pieces," "Six Days Seven Nights," "Apt Pupil," "Kissing a Fool," "The Pallbearer," "Crossing the Bridge" and the critically acclaimed HBO film "Breast Men."

His other television credits include "NYPD Blue," "Monty," "L.A. Law" and "The Wonder Years."

Schwimmer works with the Rape Treatment Center of Santa Monica.  In his free time, he plays various sports and enjoys a friendly game of poker.  He has residences in Los Angeles and Chicago.