So why did Schwimmer turn it down? He’s now explained the decision in detail in conversation with The Hollywood Reporter. Here’s the story, as Schwimmer regaled it… And I had always wanted to direct. So I had said, “okay, look; I’ll sign for a three-picture deal if you let me direct my first film, and cast my entire theatre company in Chicago” [the long-time friends who Schwimmer had been working with for years, long before Friends and stardom came along]. So, that was my goal, to give… to bring everyone up with me, to give everyone a shot. And I did it. We negotiated a deal. We did it. And the next year it was set to go into production in Chicago. And it was called Dog Water, now it’s called Since You’ve Been Gone. But I shot my first film and the entire theatre company is in it. And some crazy cameos, like John Stewart, Liev Schreiber. I told everyone in the theatre company, “you’re all cast, here are your roles, don’t take any other jobs for this six-week period.” So everyone turned down all these opportunities. These teaching jobs. Other plays. You know, everyone was banking on doing this first film with me. And then about a month before… so we’re in pre-production… about a month before production, I get the call about Men In Black. Which is was a direct conflict with directing that film. I just said, “I can’t. These are my closest friends in the world, this is their first shot at a movie, my first shot at directing. I can’t push [the timeline of the film back] because I’ve gotta go back to work on Friends in the fall.” That’s what ended up happening. Schwimmer was talking to THR to promote The People vs. O.J. Simpson, which is available now on download and disc. You can listen to the full interview – which covers Schwimmer’s whole career – by clicking here.
