David Schwimmer on leaving Men in Black: “Of course it was an incredible opportunity”

The actor who played Ross in Friends was indeed courted for this sci-fi comedy in the mid-1990s, but…

In 2016, David Schwimmer confirmed having said no to one of the two main roles of Men in Blackfinally embodied in the cinema by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, in 1997. At the time, he was already the star of Friendsa cult sitcom currently celebrating its 30th anniversary, but he still acknowledges that agreeing to star in Barry Sonnenfeld's film could have given his career a new dimension.

“The thing is, I had turned The Coffin Bearer for Miramax (Harvey Weinstein and his brother's company, editor's note)and they expected a lot, he explained at the time. While we were shooting, they wanted to sign me to a three-picture deal. And as everyone knows, the movie wasn't a success. So I didn't do those three movies with Miramax. But at that point, I had a little leverage…”

Discussing a deal that would allow him to make his first film in exchange for his three acting roles within the same studio, he added that he had been contacted in the middle of preparation for Ten years later (Since You've Been Gone), his dramedy about a reunion of school friends:

“In the middle of pre-production, I get a phone call to Men in Black. It conflicted with the making of my film. I simply said: 'I can't. They're my closest friends, it's their first time in a feature film, it's my first time directing. I can't postpone it, I have to go back to work on Friends in the fall…'“.

Tracing his podcast career Origins with Cush Jumbothe actor and director now goes into more detail about this refusal, insisting that it is not just a conflict of schedules. For him, it is more complicated than that.

Ten Years Later, by and with David Schwimmer (1998).

“No, that's not why I said no, does it begin. It was a brutal decision, actually. I had just finished The Pallbearerwith Gwyneth Paltrow, and we had high expectations for it, but it didn't get the reception we hoped for. It was even a flop, but at the time, the studio, which was Miramax, wanted me to sign with them for three pictures at a fixed price. I told them that I would accept this offer if I had the opportunity to make my first film. After months of negotiations they agreed that I would play in three films for them, and that in exchange I would make my first film, in which I would commit to having my entire theater troupe perform. All these actors were unknown, but this was supposed to be the film that would launch their careers, you know? That was the idea. I was going to allow the world to discover all the talent of this incredible troupe.”

“We found this wonderful scenario, we developed it together, he continues. When we got to pre-production, all my best buddies, the people in my company, quit their jobs to make sure they could be in the movie over the summer. We had planned on shooting for six weeks in Chicago. So, we were in full pre-production, the whole crew was engaged, it was launched, basically. And that's when I got the offer for Men in Black. Which was in direct conflict with this filming. My window between two seasons of Friends was four months. I could only accept films if they were shot in that time, and Men in Black was supposed to be shot at the exact time I was supposed to be making my film with my troupe. Of course it was an incredible opportunity. However, if I had accepted, it would certainly have ended my relationship with everyone in that company.”

The role of J therefore went to Will Smith, and not to the actor who played Ross, who finally saw his first film broadcast directly on television, on ABC in 1998, a few months after the success of Men in Black. With nearly $600 million in revenue, the blockbuster was generally well received and has since been entitled to three sequels. David Schwimmer assures us, however, that he has no regrets. He was also able to go back behind the camera for two other films, which were released in theaters: Keep running Dennis in 2007 and Trust in 2010.

“You have to follow your instinct, your heart, he said today. Listen, I am fully aware, more than 20 years later, that Men in Black would have made me a star. In hindsight, when you see the success of the first film, and even of the whole saga, it's certain that my career would have taken a completely different turn…”

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