FRIENDS fame David Schwimmer rejected Men in Black, and almost said no to the sitcom that propelled him to popularity
David Schwimmer had a major chance to make himself a big name in the industry. Had the actor not turned down an iconic role, the FRIENDS actor could have been a bigger star. The Ross Geller fame missed the role of Agent J in Men in Black. Later, the role played a massive role in Will Smith’s career and helped him gain international popularity.
David Schwimmer
If David Schwimmer’s career is observed, then he hadn’t seen much success in other ventures besides FRIENDS. He probably made the worst decision when he turned down Men in Black due to reasons unknown. The Will Smith movie later turned into a major franchise with two sequels and a spin-off.
David Schwimmer missed one of the biggest chances of his career
Will Smith’s role in MIB was offered to David Schwimmer
There are examples of many stars who have turned down roles that they regret later. David Schwimmer also added his name to the list after rejecting Men in Black. It could have catapulted Schwimmer’s fame to astronomical levels, but unfortunately, the 56-year-old turned it down.
As reported by Collider, the Ross Geller actor didn’t give any reason for rejecting the role of Agent J. The role ultimately went to Will Smith, who led the movie alongside Tommy Lee Jones’ Agent K.
Interestingly, it was not only David Schwimmer who rejected the role. The role of Agent J was turned down by Chris O’Donnell. However, the franchise gained massive success and is currently worth $1.9 billion. The franchise focuses on an agency by the same name that keeps an eye on the paranormal and extraterrestrial activities on the planet.
David Schwimmer almost turned down the role of Dr. Ross Geller
David Schwimmer as Dr. Ross Geller
FRIENDS is one of the best television series ever made and is presently a major pop culture phenomenon. Its interesting characters are one of the main reasons why the show gained such huge popularity. The characters are etched in our minds and we can never imagine anybody else in those memorable roles.
However, Schwimmer wasn’t willing to take the role at first. According to the Madagascar voice actor in an episode of The Tonight Show, the length of the series felt like a “prison sentence” at first. He denied it initially but later changed his mind after knowing about an interesting detail.
Things changed when David Schwimmer came to know that the character of Ross Geller was written by keeping his name in mind. He was immensely flattered-
“When I heard that they wrote this part with me in mind I was like, ‘OK, yeah, let’s do this!’ That’s the biggest compliment ever”.
Although FRIENDS established him as one of the major TV actors of all time, the mistake he made by rejecting Men in Black undoubtedly had a huge impact on his career.