| Real Name: | David Lawrence Schwimmer |
| Birthday: | November 2, 1966 |
| Net Worth | $85 million |
| Height: | 185 cm |
| Occupation: | Actor, director and producer |
Many people know David Schwimmer as “That guy from Friends”. But he is more than just that. Following Friends, Schwimmer made a successful career in Hollywood. Still, people remember him as Ross Geller from Friends.
He got a few smaller roles before appearing in Friends. The show was successful worldwide. It is still one of the best shows ever made. Many shows nowadays try to copy the plot and story of Friends.
Content Compass
Net Worth, Friends Salary and Earnings
The cast of Friends was ahead of its time. And David is one of the most responsible for that. After the second season, he encouraged his castmates to band together and ask for a higher salary. They demanded equal and higher pay. They know the show was successful and wanted to cash in. But most importantly, they knew the power is in number.
Because the show couldn’t write off the entire cast, they grouped together. The cast negotiated collectively. As a result, they got $75,000 per episode in season three. That number rose to $85,000 per episode in season four, $100,000 in season five, and $125,000 in season six. When they got to season seven, the popularity was through the roof.
So, the band got a salary of $750,000 per episode in seasons seven and eight. For the last two seasons, they made a whopping $1 million per episode.
During the time on the show, they also negotiated syndication royalties. At the time, that was uncommon for actors. They didn’t make back-end profits unless they had ownership rights. But because of the show’s success, they negotiated syndication royalties for the entire cast.
They negotiated the rights in 2000. Each cast member got 2% of back-end profits. The decision still stands today, and they make close to $20 million per year from royalties.
Still an active actor
Where is David Schwimmer today? And how does he make his money? Friends was one of the biggest shows of all-time. But he continued with a successful movie and television career after that. Following the end of the show, David tried a variety of new acting formats.
For example, he was a title character in the 2005 drama film Duane Hopwood. He also voiced Melman the Giraffe in the Madagascar film franchise. David starred in a dark comedy, Big Nothing, and in a thriller, Nothing But the Truth. He made his West End stage debut in 2005. Among his latest roles, he appeared in the miniseries The People Vs. O.J. Simpson.
But he brings money as a director as well. He directed 10 episodes of Friends, the TV show Joey, and more. He is now more behind the camera than in front of the camera.
You can say he doesn’t need money anymore. He can stop working and live lavishly until the end of his life. But it is the love for the job that keeps him coming back. Schwimmer is still active in the entertainment industry.
Personal Life
David has a rather “boring” personal life. He began a relationship with British artist Zoe Buckman in 2007. They married in a small private ceremony in 2010. The couple has a daughter, Cleo Buckman Schwimmer.
Before marrying Zoe, he dated Minnie Driver, Tina Barrett, Brandi Glanville, and Natalie Imbruglia. In 2017, David and Zoe split up.
He is active in charities and organizations for helping people. He is an active director of the Rape Treatment Center in Santa Monica. The center specializes in helping victims of date rape and child rape. David also campaigned to ban drugs such as GHB and Rohypnol.