A university professor has argued that David Schwimmer was unappreciated as Ross Geller in Friends. 
Dr Simone Knox, an Associate Professor in Film & Television at the University of Reading, has argued that while Schwimmer’s portrayal was one of the greatest comedic performances of our time, he was similarly the most undervalued in the smash-hit sitcom. Sharing her evaluation in new book Friends: A Reading of the Sitcom, she wrote: ‘Schwimmer’s performance frequently draws on slapstick, which has often been regarded as one of the more basic forms of humour, but this does not explain its widespread appeal.
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  ‘This dismissal, by audiences, critics or scholars, neglects to explore and assess the challenges and intricacies of a successful physical comedic performance, and the particular skills and craft involved, which are prevalent in a number of scenes in Friends, especially those involving Schwimmer.’ It’s no secret that showrunner Marta Kauffman had written Ross with Schwimmer in mind – and the character was written to play to his strengths. Dr Knox explained further: ‘Out of the entire cast, Schwimmer, who has a background in the Chicago theatre scene, was perhaps most aware of the full range of performance opportunities and challenges presented by multi-camera filming before going into production and, more significantly, how to engage with them in front of a live audience.

Friends Ross

‘This is particularly visible in Ross’s many slapstick moments in which Schwimmer’s strength of physicality, vocal delivery and comic timing are used particularly well.’ Schwimmer took centre stage in a load of side-splitting scenes throughout Friends’ 10 years. Who can forget when he dressed up as the holiday armadillo or wore *those* leather pants?

Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2019/09/19/david-schwimmer-unappreciated-ross-geller-friends-10773742/?ito=cbshare
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