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People are always wondering whether Schwimmer is like Ross. Someone once told him that Ross takes things more seriously than the other characters and that he feels things more deeply than Joey and Chandler. 'He's literally in a different dimension, a different reality than the others. Not everything is frivolous to him, there's a seriousness about him in terms of how he thinks about relationships, the family; he's more issue oriented - if there were issues on the show!' He laughs. 'And that's more me.'
Schwimmer says that he, unlike Ross, has changed over. But he manages to remain 'intellectually engaged' by directing some of the episodes. 'So it's not mindless. There's a challenge in itself in trying to keep things fresh, playing the same character for eight years.' He adds, somewhat unconvincingly: 'It's actually quite fun.' Unlike the stint where Ross was engaged to an English girl. His lip curls instinctively at the mention of Helen Baxendale, and for once the Friends code of silence is broken. 'To be honest with you I don't think she wanted any part of us,' he says. 'I felt like I, at least - and the others - welcomed her with open arms into the family, but she kept a real professional and personal distance. I was disappointed that she didn't want to engage. Some kind of connection would have been nice - after all, we were going to be married.'
He insists, as they all do, that the six stars of Friends really are good friends, and that, because they became famous together, they are able to keep each other's egos in check, though they socialise less off-set than they once did now that most of them are in long-term relationships.
Schwimmer's own, with Israeli actress Mili Avital, has recently come to an end. He blames the tabloids for printing false stories that they had become engaged at a particularly difficult point in their relationship. 'It was really hurtful,' he says bitterly. 'They just don't understand the damage they cause.'
He has not had a date in the three months since they broke up, and there's a sadness in his eyes when he talks about the split. 'She's incredible, simply the best person I've ever known, inside and out. She's the most genuine, and generous, and artistic and clear-headed person I've ever known.'
It has been suggested that Schwimmer, who had a three-year relationship with law clerk Sarah Trimble in the mid-90s and has dated singer Natalie Imbruglia, has a problem with commitment. But he disputes that. 'I was committed to Mili for four years. I think, if anything, I'm a workaholic and that was the problem. I was not able to find a healthy balance between my work life and my personal life. It's a flaw in my character and I can't seem to find the balance yet.'
He is coping by burying himself in more work and believes he will 'flip a switch' when the time comes to start a family. 'I know myself very well and I love kids and I know that, when I have them, I'm going to want to be there, not making films. I will want to have a break. And I want to have more than one child. I look forward to it, but I'm just not ready to change my lifestyle that drastically.'
That time, however, may be just around the corner. 'Maybe it's as simple as waiting for the show [Friends] to end and maybe moving back here to Chicago and spending more time with the theatre company and deciding to raise a family and direct and act in the theatre. Maybe it's that simple, that that time will come, maybe in another year or two, and my life will change,' he says, optimistically.
The change could be a drastic one. 'I've also thought about just totally leaving this profession,' he says, seriously. 'I've made a good amount of money. I'm very happy that I can now support my theatre company and support friends and family, and I'm ready to maybe go back to school and change careers.' It can't be the drink talking: Schwimmer has nursed a single pint of beer for almost two hours now. 'I've thought about it a lot,' he says, talking enthusiastically about going back to college to train as a teacher.
'I think we can really use more - and better - teachers in this country. I would like to teach in public [state] school. I think I have a lot to offer in that area.'
He gets excited running through the subjects he might teach - English, maths, science, history ('I'm a history buff!') and he seems completely serious. 'I just see this chapter of my life coming to a close and I'm not quite sure what the next chapter has in store. But until I figure that out, and decide what I'm gonna do, I'm certainly not ready for the family chapter to begin yet. One of my dreams has come true: I'm making a living at what I love to do most. I'm really blessed. Not only that but I can retire - and I'm not even 35. So now isn't it time to maybe do something else and give something back?'