Schwimmer he received an offer after appearing in “The Mourner” Matt Reeves from 1996. “There were big hopes for this film, but nothing came of it. It was a box office bomb, in a way. Because of these expectations, the studio, in this case Miramax, wanted to sign a three-film contract with me for a flat fee,” Schwimmer recalled. “I agreed on the condition that I could direct the first one.”
That film turned out to be “Since You’ve Been Gone” from 1998. The main roles were played by actors from the Lookingglass Theatre Company, with whom Schwimmer was associated. “All my best friends quit their jobs to be in my film over the summer. It took six weeks to shoot in Chicago,” he recalled.
At the same time, the series’ Ross was offered a role in Barry Sonnenfeld’s Men in Black, but filming the sci-fi comedy clashed with Since You’ve Been Gone. Schwimmer couldn’t postpone filming his directorial debut – he only had a few weeks to spare in the summer, after which he had to return to the set. “Friends”.
“Of course, it was an incredible offer,” he admitted. “At that time, I was guided by my instincts, by what my heart told me. I realize, with the perspective of these 20 years, even more, that this role could have made me a movie star. Looking at the success of this film and the entire series, my career could have gone completely differently.”
“My theater group, my relationship with all these people — it would probably be over. There was no other way. People literally quit their jobs to make this film,” he added.