Editing David Schwimmer (section)

==Early life==
Schwimmer was born on November 2, 1966 (although some sources say November 12), in [[Flushing, Queens]],<ref name=newsday /> [[New York City]], to attorneys Arthur (1941–2024) and Arlene Coleman-Schwimmer (born 1940).<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20090205123736/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1183560,00.html</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-03-13-tm-1437-story.html|title=California Breakup : 'Divorce is...|date=March 13, 1988|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=April 12, 2022}}</ref><ref name="hello">{{cite web|url=http://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/davidschwimmer/|title=Hello Magazine Profile&nbsp;— David Schwimmer |work=Hello!|publisher=Hello Ltd|access-date=January 16, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090604140601/http://hellomagazine.com/profiles/davidschwimmer/ | archive-date= June 4, 2009}}</ref> His family is [[Jews|Jewish]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna3080030|title=David Schwimmer's serious side|work=[[NBC News]]|date=November 21, 2003|access-date=May 21, 2018|quote=David Schwimmer: 'And when it comes to certain prejudice and the hatred that still pervades this country I'm a Jew first and not a white person.{{'-}}}}</ref> He has an older sister named Ellie Schwimmer (born 1965).<ref name="yahoo">{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/participant.jsp?spid=172712&apid=0|title=David Schwimmer|publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|access-date=May 26, 2009}}{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> His mother was a high profile divorce attorney who had represented several high profile figures including [[Elizabeth Taylor]] and [[Rod Stewart]].  His family subsequently moved to Los Angeles, where Schwimmer, at 10, had his first acting experience when he was cast as the fairy godmother in a Jewish version of ''[[Cinderella]]''.<ref name="yahoo"/> At the age of 12, Schwimmer went to a Shakespeare workshop given by English actor Sir [[Ian McKellen]] in Los Angeles.<ref name="guard"/> He recalls being riveted by the experience.<ref name="guard" /> Schwimmer then entered a contest in the Southern California Shakespeare Festival three years in a row, winning two first prizes.<ref name="guard"/><ref name="f word"/>

Following his mother's successful career as a divorce lawyer, the family moved to [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]], where Schwimmer attended [[Beverly Hills High School]].<ref name="guard"/><ref name="f word"/> His classmates included actor [[Jonathan Silverman]].  Schwimmer admitted to feeling like an outsider during his time at the school, recalling, "When I was there I always felt: 'This is not me, I'm surrounded by people with a different value system. And I just wanted to get out of California.'"<ref name="guard">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/nov/25/features.magazine|title=Friends in high places|last=Cooper|first=Tim|date=November 25, 2001|work=[[The Guardian]] |location=UK |access-date=January 16, 2009 | archive-date = February 19, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140219061526/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/nov/25/features.magazine | url-status=live}}</ref> His best subjects were science and math and he originally wanted to become a doctor.<ref name="guard"/> Schwimmer enrolled in a drama class, where he appeared in stage productions. Encouraged by his school drama teacher to further his acting, he flew to Chicago for a summer acting program at [[Northwestern University]]. He noted that the experience was both "enlightening and exhilarating".<ref name="hello"/> In 1984, Schwimmer graduated from Beverly Hills High and wanted to go straight into acting, but his parents insisted he go to college first so he would have something to fall back on. Schwimmer spent a summer as a [[process server]] for his mother’s law firm.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/jan/16/the-greatest-celebrity-anecdote-of-all-time-how-david-schwimmer-triggered-rod-stewarts-divorce</ref><ref name="guard"/> Schwimmer enrolled in Northwestern University, where he had attended the summer acting program earlier.<ref name="guard"/> He had originally intended on becoming a surgeon, having studied various body systems but eventually decided to pursue acting professionally.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pelley |first=Rich |date=June 19, 2021 |title=David Schwimmer: 'I was a roller-skating waiter' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jun/19/this-much-i-know-david-schwimmer-i-was-a-roller-skating-waiter-for-seven-years |access-date=June 5, 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> At the university, he studied theater and was in an improv group with [[Stephen Colbert]], the No-Fun Mud Piranhas.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/PBou1uIhLYs Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20160203091128/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBou1uIhLYs&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBou1uIhLYs|title=David Schwimmer Had Kylo Ren Hair In College | work=[[The Late Show with Stephen Colbert]] |date= February 3, 2016|access-date=April 22, 2016| time=00:32}}{{cbignore}}</ref> After graduating in 1988, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater and speech, Schwimmer co-founded the [[Lookingglass Theatre Company]].<ref name="hello" /> Subsequently, he returned to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.<ref name="yahoo" />