Friends' Ross Geller role almost went to Noah Wyle after David Schwimmer passed

People

Saul Austerlitz’s new book Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era details how Schwimmer "did not want to do the show. More than that, he did not want to do any more television at all" even though he was wanted for the Ross role. Schwimmer had bad experiences with sitcoms and pilots in the past. So creators Martha Kauffman and David Crane auditioned Wyle, who ended up landing ER. The actor who played Rachel’s jilted fiancé, Mitchell Whitfield, also auditioned for Ross. It took a call from  legendary director James Burrows to convince Schwimmer to sign on for Friends. ALSO: Friends creators considered relocating to Minnesota in Season 5.