David Schwimmer Net Worth

What is David Schwimmer's Net Worth and Salary?

David Schwimmer is an American actor, director, and producer who has a net worth of $120 million. David Schwimmer is best known for his portrayal of Ross Geller on the iconic sitcom "Friends" (1994-2004). His performance earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award and a nomination for an Emmy Award. Before his breakout role, Schwimmer appeared in various television shows and films, including "The Wonder Years," "NYPD Blue," and "The Pallbearer."

After "Friends," Schwimmer continued to act in movies such as "Duane Hopwood," "Big Nothing," and "Nothing But the Truth." He also lent his voice to the character of Melman in the "Madagascar" animated film series. In addition to acting, Schwimmer has directed several episodes of television shows, including "Friends," "Joey," and "Little Britain USA."

Schwimmer has also appeared on stage, making his Broadway debut in "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" in 2006. He co-founded the Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago and has appeared in and directed numerous productions there. In recent years, Schwimmer has taken on more dramatic roles in series such as "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story" and "Intelligence."

Early Life

David Lawrence Schwimmer was born on November 2nd, 1966, in Flushing, Queens, New York City. Raised in a Jewish household alongside an older sister by parents who were both attorneys, David's family soon relocated to Los Angeles. Once there, David became enamored with acting and developed a passion for Shakespeare.

David's family eventually relocated to Beverly Hills, where he attended high school. Schwimmer felt like an outsider during his high school years and planned to become a doctor after excelling in math and science. However, his passion for acting never went away, and David continued to enroll in drama classes and summer acting programs.

After high school, David Schwimmer attended Northwestern University and joined an improv group that included Stephen Colbert. He graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater and speech. Although he founded the Lookingglass Theater Company in Chicago after graduating from university, he soon returned to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images

Early Career

David Schwimmer began his acting career with guest spots on television shows in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His early credits included appearances on "L.A. Law," "The Wonder Years," "NYPD Blue," and "Monty." He also took small roles in made-for-TV films such as "A Deadly Silence" and had a part in the military drama "Flight of the Intruder" (1991).

Though these roles were modest, they gave Schwimmer valuable on-camera experience. At the same time, he was honing his craft as a stage actor. After co-founding the Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago, he appeared in a number of productions that reinforced his interest in both performing and directing.

"Friends"

Schwimmer's breakthrough came in 1994 when he was cast as Ross Geller on the NBC sitcom "Friends." The show's debut was watched by 22 million Americans, and it quickly developed into a cultural phenomenon. Ross, the sweet but neurotic paleontologist, became one of the series' most beloved characters, particularly due to his on-again, off-again relationship with Rachel Green, played by Jennifer Aniston.

While starring on "Friends," Schwimmer began branching out into film. His credits during this period included "The Pallbearer" (1996), "Kissing a Fool" (1998), "Six Days, Seven Nights" (1998), "Apt Pupil" (1998), and "Picking Up the Pieces" (2000). Although not all of these films achieved box office success, they gave him opportunities to expand beyond television and experiment with different genres.

(Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for AMC)

Other Film & TV Work

After "Friends" ended in 2004, Schwimmer took on a wide range of projects across film, television, and theater. One of his most acclaimed performances came in 2001 when he appeared in the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers," playing Captain Herbert Sobel, a demanding and disliked training officer. In 2005, he took on a new dimension of his career by voicing Melman the giraffe in the animated "Madagascar" film franchise, a role he reprised in several sequels.

Schwimmer also began directing, making his feature debut with the romantic comedy "Run Fatboy Run" (2007). On stage, he made his Broadway debut in "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial," further demonstrating his versatility. Over the years, he made guest appearances on shows like "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "30 Rock," and "Entourage."

In 2011, Schwimmer returned to TV in the British comedy "Come Fly With Me." Five years later, he earned critical praise for his role as defense attorney Robert Kardashian in "American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson" (2016). More recently, he has starred in series such as "Feed the Beast" (2016), "Homecoming" (2018), and "Intelligence" (2020). On film, he played Matthew Quirk in "The Laundromat" (2019) and took on roles in "Captain Fall" and "Extrapolations" in 2023.

Relationships

In the late 1990s, Schwimmer dated Australian singer-songwriter Natalie Imbruglia. In 2010, he married artist and photographer Zoe Buckman. The couple welcomed their daughter in 2011, but after several years together, they announced their divorce in 2017 following a period of separation.

David Schwimmer Friends Salaries

During the first season of "Friends," Schwimmer and his co-stars each earned $22,500 per episode, about $540,000 for the season. Their salaries rose to $40,000 per episode in the second season and then to $75,000 in season three, thanks to a groundbreaking collective negotiation where all six cast members banded together to demand equal pay.

The cast continued to renegotiate as the show's popularity skyrocketed, with salaries increasing to $85,000 in season four, $100,000 in season five, and $125,000 in season six. By seasons seven and eight, each cast member was earning $750,000 per episode, or roughly $18 million per season. For the final two seasons, their salaries rose to an unprecedented $1 million per episode, resulting in $24 million for season nine and $18 million for season ten. In total, Schwimmer earned about $90 million in base salary from the show, not including bonuses or royalties.

Friends Royalties

In addition to their upfront salaries, Schwimmer and the other main cast members negotiated a rare deal in 2000 that included backend points, giving them a share of syndication and streaming profits. This type of arrangement was nearly unheard of for actors at the time, reserved for mega-figures like Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Cosby.

"Friends" remains one of the most profitable sitcoms of all time, generating more than $1 billion per year from syndication and licensing. As a result, Schwimmer continues to collect $10–20 million annually in royalties, making the series not only a defining role of his career but also an enduring financial windfall.

Real Estate

In 1998, David Schwimmer paid $425,000 for a loft in Chicago. After initially putting the condo on the market for $1.15 million, Schwimmer eventually lowered the price and sold the property for $965,000 in 2020.

In 2001, Schwimmer paid $5.6 million for an extensive mansion in the exclusive neighborhood of Hancock Park in Los Angeles. The 11,336-square-foot house features nine bedrooms, five fireplaces, and a wood-paneled library. The outdoor area features tennis courts and a swimming pool. After initially listing the mansion for $10.7 million in 2011, David Schwimmer eventually lowered the price and sold the property in 2012 for just under $8.9 million.

In 2010, New York City became Schwimmer's primary residence when he purchased a townhome in Manhattan's East Village for $3.9 million. Schwimmer then redeveloped the property through a limited liability company, completely demolishing the historic 1852 property and replacing it with a five-story, brick townhouse.

Who's Richer?

David
Schwimmer

Compare!

Matt
LeBlanc