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From the moment that Friends premiered on NBC in 1994, there has been no stopping the show. Immensely popular throughout its run on television, Friends has also continued to air in reruns ever since there were enough episodes for it to be syndicated.

Looking back on what made Friends such a legendary show, it is easy to see that one of the keys to the show's success is the chemistry the show's stars shared. After all, it isn't a coincidence that even in the selfish world of Hollywood, Friends' stars banded together to negotiate deals that allowed them to make millions in residuals and salaries.

Given how much people love the stars of Friends as a group, it seems pretty clear that the show may not have worked if any of the main roles were recast. On top of that, if David Schwimmer didn't star in Friends, the world likely would have missed out on everything he has done since the show ended.

In some ways, it may seem like Schwimmer and his Friends co-stars were always destined to work on the beloved sitcom together. In reality, however, Schwimmer easily could have missed out on the show if it wasn't for the fact that a Hollywood legend inspired him to become an actor.

How Did Ian McKellen Inspire David Schwimmer To Become An Actor?

A lot of the time when average people talk about actors, they tend to silo them off into different groups. A perfect example of that is a lot of people would categorize Ian McKellen as an actor's actor while they would label David Schwimmer as a sitcom actor.

Related: David Schwimmer's Unscripted Moment Would Lead To The Most Iconic Line In Friends' History

In reality, even though Schwimmer and McKellen have typically taken very different kinds of roles from each other, they both try to accomplish the same thing. The reason for that is that all actors try to inspire emotions in viewers above all else.

David Schwimmer at a premiere
Via: Instar

On top of basically wanting to accomplish the same sorts of things with their career, it turns out that Schwimmer and McKellen have a truly remarkable connection.

In 2016, Schwimmer was interviewed during a public event. During the resulting conversation, Schwimmer revealed something nobody would have expected, he was inspired to become an actor after seeing McKellen perform in person.

Ian McKellen
Via: Instar

"Somewhere in high school I went to see a one-man show of Ian McKellen. At that time, he did this one-man show called Acting Shakespeare. And he toured it to UCLA, and my parents took me to see him."

"And that was the moment that I remember sitting there and I couldn’t believe it." Schwimmer continued, "I watched this guy without any props, or makeup, or changes of clothing or anything — I watched him simply sit in a chair and stand occasionally, and transform into about 12 different lead characters from the greatest of Shakespeare’s plays."

"And I couldn’t believe it, it was like a magic trick. He suddenly became 300-pound Falstaff, or you know what I mean?" Schwimmer continued "I just watched this man change. And that’s when I knew I had to try to do that. I just thought, Wow. It was incredible, very moving, and very funny. I think that was the moment for me, really."

Related: How Ian McKellen Affected Hugh Jackman's Acting Career

Years earlier in 2001, The Guardian profiled Schwimmer. During the resulting article, The Guardian very, very briefly mentioned McKellen. However, the fascinating thing is The Guardian revealed what Schwimmer did after he was inspired to become an actor.

After seeing how talented McKellen was and what he could do in a performance, Schwimmer started studying drama at Beverly Hills High. Then, Schwimmer entered a local drama contest called the Southern California Shakespeare Festival several times.

David Schwimmer at the King Lear Premiere
Via: Instar

After Schwimmer applied a third time, he found success as an actor for the first time as he explained to The Guardian. "'I won first place in a group scene and also first place in an individual dialogue, which I adapted from The Tempest. It was a scene with myself, basically; I played three characters simultaneously - Prospero, Ariel and Caliban.' "

If that performance doesn't sound like the kind of thing that would interest McKellen, then nothing does.

Since Schwimmer's parents insisted that he have a backup plan, he agreed to go to University. That said, Schwimmer chose to attend Northwestern because he was familiar with their drama program. Ultimately, Schwimmer graduated with a degree in theatre and speech.

Why Did David Schwimmer Almost Miss Out On Friends?

After David Schwimmer finished his education, he quickly went on to enjoy some low-level success as an actor. Able to land roles in shows like The Wonder Years, L.A. Law, and NYPD Blue, Schwimmer also popped up in several movies.

Related: David Schwimmer Had Problems Working With This 'Friends' Co-Star

Since millions of people dream of making a living as an actor, you may assume that Schwimmer was overjoyed before Friends came along. In reality, however, people don't understand that successful people can be unhappy too.

The Wonder Years cast including David Schwimmer
Via: Twitter

When Schwimmer took part in the Friends reunion with his former co-stars, he revealed that he easily could have missed out on the hit show.

Before Schwimmer began starring in Friends, he was "fed up" with the acting business after having a really bad experience on a different show. As a result, Schwimmer told his agents not to bring him any more roles.

On top of how frustrated with acting Schwimmer was at the time, he also had committed himself to a play at the time.

Friends-Cast-2
Via Twitter

Thankfully for Schwimmer and his fans everywhere, his agents felt strongly about the show that would become Friends and convinced him to audition despite his reluctance.

"I told my agents not to send me anything," he said. "I was in Chicago doing a play with my company. I got the call from my agent, and she said, 'Look, I know you told me not to send you anything, but there's a show I really think you should take a look at.' "