David Lawrence Schwimmer (born November 2, 1966) is an American actor, director, producer and comedian. He was born in
Flushing, Queens,
New York, and his family moved to
Los Angeles when he was 2. He began his acting career performing in school plays at
Beverly Hills High School. In 1988, he graduated from
Northwestern University with a
Bachelor of Arts in theater and speech. After graduation, Schwimmer co-founded the
Lookingglass Theatre Company. For much of the late 1980s, he lived in Los Angeles as a struggling, unemployed actor.