If you have watched Friends from the beginning to the end, you would know how close they all were to each other. No matter what happened in their lives, they would stick together, despite having disagreements. But their bonds were not limited to the big screen only. All these actors took care of each other even behind the camera as well. Actors like David Schwimmer always went above and beyond to make sure his co-stars were okay, despite his rising popularity.

The American actor-director portrayed the character of nerdy Ross Geller on Friends. Although he was the last one to be cast, he became the first one to be the most popular. But how did the actor himself and his co-star feel about it?

Did the rising popularity of David Schwimmer make anyone jealous?

It is pretty obvious to see your friend, who works the same as you, is talented the same as you, getting ahead of you. Schwimmer’s performance as Ross Geller became so popular and appreciated that he was the first one to receive a lot of attention from the industry. People were making offers to cast the 56-year-old actor only. However, it did not make any of his co-stars feel jealous at all. Instead, Matthew Perry wrote in his memoir about his friends’ rising fame as well.

He mentioned the Band of Brothers actor was the standout during the show. Perry praised his fellow actor’s skills and agreed that Schwimmer deserved all the attention he was receiving. Even during his interview with The List, the New York-born actor revealed, “For whatever reason, I was ‘the breakout,'” pointing out that he was the first one to receive movie offers since the show started.

But it was not about the fame for him. He wanted everyone on the show to be acknowledged with the same amount of respect. The way he brought Ross Geller to life, his agent pushed him to ask for a raise as well. However, because the SAG Award-winning actor believed in equality, he refused to accept the raise. Jennifer Aniston also joined her co-star, and they both sacrificed a whopping amount of money. How did the Friends cast feel about it?

How did the Friends cast react to their co-stars’ gesture?

Matthew Perry, in his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Things, revealed Schwimmer used his popularity as leverage during the salary negotiations. Courteney Cox opened up about the same and admitted it was important and the right thing to do. The reason she gave was similar to Schwimmer’s. They both believed all the actors worked the same hours. Thus, they all must be paid equally.

Lisa Kudrow supported everyone’s statements and added, “We didn’t engender bitterness or rivalry within each other.” After a much-needed discussion with the producers, all the actors finally received equal salaries. Remembering those times, the 17 Again actor wrote in his book how terrified he was. Moreover, he appreciated how the Intelligence actor did not let his rising fame come between his friendship with his co-stars.

From time and again, David Schwimmer has proved his kindness and generosity in one way or the other. What do you think about the way he handled his fame? Tell us in the comments below.