Was Men In Black Offered To David Schwimmer? Here’s What Friends Actor Revealed About Turning Down The Movie

David Schwimmer has opened up about turning down one of the hit movies offered to him, Men in Black. The actor claimed if he had agreed to the offer, he would have been a movie star.

Published on Sep 19, 2024  |  12:05 AM IST |  43.2K
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David Schwimmer via Max/YouTube

David Schwimmer opened up on being offered one of the popular movies of the decade, Men in Black. However, the actor turned down the Will Smith starrer.

In conversation with Cush Jumbo on his podcast, Schwimmer claimed that he does not regret his decision to not do the film, he believes making an appearance in the film would have given a good boost to his career in movies. Opening up about the reason for rejecting the film, the actor revealed that the project was clashing with his dates on Friends. 

The 1997 film starred Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in the lead roles. With the movie releasing in theaters, Smith went on to become the star in the film industry, along with the former, who was already a legend in Hollywood. 

While talking to the podcast host, the Madagascar actor shared, “[It] was a brutal decision.” He further added, “I had just finished filming The Pallbearer, my first film with Gwyneth Paltrow, and there were high expectations of that, which didn’t come true (Laughs). It was kind of a bomb but there were high expectations and the studio, which was Miramax, wanted to lock me into a three-picture deal at a fixed price and I said I would do that if I got to direct my first movie.” 

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Schwimmer further revealed that he negotiated with the production house that they allow the actor to direct his entire theater company for the film, and he will act in the upcoming three movies of the studios. The Tangled actor stated, “All these unknown actors but I was going to put them on the map, basically. I was going to let everyone discover the talent of this amazing company.”

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The Wonder Years actor further shared that he came across a wonderful script, and the movie went into its pre-production stage. While everything worked well, the movie still did not perform well on the box office. The actor recalled that the post-production of the film overlapped with Men in Black and hence could not attract as much audience as he expected. 

Speaking of his decision to drop out of the Will Smith starrer, Schwimmer claimed, “Look, I’m really aware, whatever 20 years later, maybe more, [Men in Black] would have made me a movie star,” he added. “If you look at the success of that film and that franchise, my career would have taken a very different trajectory.”

Meanwhile, David and his five other co-stars got a good taste of success through their iconic 1994 sitcom Friends. The show was watched across the countries and grabbed viewership in millions. 

ALSO READ: FRIENDS Star David Schwimmer Opens Up About Matthew Perry’s Death For The First Time In 11 Months; Claims Late Actor ‘Was Reserved With Me’

FAQ

What character did David Schwimmer play in Friends?
David Schwimmer played the role of Ross in Friends.

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