Though Will Smith is still churning out hits, 'Men in Black' is probably one of his most-loved films. The summer of 1997 was a crazy time for Smith, as the film grossed the third-highest amount of all films at the box office that year.
But while Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith were sitting back and congratulating themselves, one 'Friends' was probably kicking himself instead.
Sure, at the time, 'Friends' was already in its heyday. And though the cast members were making an impressive per-episode amount (and they still get massive royalties to this day), there's a certain level of fame that Will Smith seems to have reached that probably only Jennifer Aniston could rival.
Unfortunately, David Schwimmer will never know what could have happened had he been in that movie with Tommy Lee Jones.
The fact is, David Schwimmer was offered the role of Agent J -- the role that ultimately went to Smith -- says Northern Star. The problem was that David was very busy with other film projects, so he had to say not to the role.
As Northern Star explained, Schwimmer had already committed to directing 'Since You've Been Gone.' The actor/director related that it was about a month before production when he got the call for another film.
Whatever interest he may have had in 'MIB,' David wasn't going to let his friends and fellow actors down. The movie, in which he had cast "all of his friends from his theatre company," says Northern Star, was a pivotal point for him.
He explained, "You know, everyone was banking on doing this first film with me... 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."
The truth is, 'MIB' turned out amazing without David, but who knows how different it could've been?
After all, David's not averse to a little drama, on screen or off. He helped the cast of 'Friends' earn more money, which is nothing to scoff at considering they all wound up with lifetime royalties from the show's syndication.
He's also been pretty busy since 'Friends,' even without the boost of 'MIB.' And though 'Since You've Been Gone' wasn't a critical hit, Schwimmer did go on to direct other projects afterward, including TV series and films. He also directed 10 episodes of 'Friends'!
And anyway, if Schwimmer had gone the way of Will Smith, who would've brought the 'Madagascar' franchise to life?!
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