David Schwimmer’s Horror Debut In Goosebumps: The Vanishing Gets Exciting Tease From Star & EPs: “It Gets Dark”

David Schwimmer and two key creatives behind Goosebumps have discussed the show giving him his first lead horror role. The Disney+ anthology series is inspired by the children’s book series of the same name by R. L. Stine and tells a different family-friendly horror story every season. The upcoming Goosebumps season 2, which is subtitled The Vanishing and follows teenage siblings who uncover a dangerous secret hidden in their new home, boasts a brand-new ensemble cast that includes Schwimmer, Ana Ortiz, Sam McCarthy, Jayden Bartels, Elijah M. Cooper, Galilea La Salvia, and Francesca Noel.

ScreenRant had the opportunity to interview Goosebumps showrunner Hilary Winston, co-creator Rob Letterman, and star David Scwhimmer ahead of the new season. Letterman and Winston revealed that they were already thinking of going with a comedy star for the role because “comedy and horror are so linked,” but casting the Friends alumnus felt like a long shot. However, they were able to make it happen, and Winston marveled at Schwimmer’s dramatic chops, saying that “he could have just easily been George Clooney.” Read their full comments below:

Hilary Winston: Yeah, going with a comedian was such an obvious route, because — Rob and I talk about it all the time — comedy and horror are so linked, you know? They really are two sides of one coin. So, I think that when you somebody can do comedy and has that timing, they’re going to have the horror timing. So, we knew we wanted to go after somebody. Honestly, I was like, Schwimmer seemed like such a big name, I think I laughed at the idea. [Chuckles]

Rob Letterman: Yeah, it seemed ridiculous to even call him up.

Hilary Winston: Yeah, when somebody has dominated something like, so much — but the thing is, Schwimmer is so amazing. He is so talented, he’s so thoughtful about everything he does with his work. He really wanted to dive into a character, and was really interested in doing something in genre, and had so many great ideas, and just became Anthony. There’s just no Anthony without David Schwimmer.

Rob Letterman: It was fun to go with somebody unexpected, like, you just don’t expect him to play this character. That’s just the best. It’s really great, it gets dark. [Laughs]

Hilary Winston: And dramatic. Seeing him in some really dramatic scenes and just being like, “Wow, he dominated half-hour comedy, but he could have just easily been George Clooney on ER at the same time.” [Chuckles]

Schwimmer himself chimed in about taking on the project in a later interview. He revealed that, in spite of being best known for comedy, he has “always been a fan of horror“ so he “thought this was going to be just a blast” and he was proven right. Read his full quote below:

Yeah, I don’t know if I had dabbled in horror before, maybe you’re thinking of something that I totally have forgotten. I’ve always been a fan of horror, a genuine fan. I love scary movies, I love being scared at the movie theater or at home. So, I was just really excited, because the combination of horror, action, comedy is the sweet spot for me. I’ve always wanted to do it, and I thought this was going to be just a blast, and it was.

What This Means For David Schwimmer

Goosebumps Sees Him Branching Out Even More

Although Schwimmer continued to appear in comedies after Friends went off in 2004, including the Madagascar movies, Will & Grace, 30 Rock, and Web Therapy, he has branched out quite a bit, exploring more dramatic roles in recent year. This includes playing real-life attorney Robert Kardashian in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story in addition to starring in the short-lived crime drama series Feed the Beast and the 2019 Steven Soderbergh movie The Laundromat.

The improv comedy series Web Therapy was co-created by and starred Schwimmer’s Friends co-star Lisa Kudrow.

However, joining the Goosebumps season 2 cast will allow him to spread his wings even further. While he has technically appeared in the horror genre before when he played the minor role of an unnamed police officer in Mike Nichols’ 1994 werewolf movie Wolf, starring Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer, this is the first time he has ever taken a lead role in the genre, or even a major role. While the show still incorporates elements of comedy, the blend of genres will allow him to add shades to his character that he has never been able to play before.

Our Take On David Schwimmer’s Goosebumps Role

More Horror Could Be In His Future

David Schwimmer’s casting in the upcoming Goosebumps season is a natural progression from comedy star Justin Long being cast in a major role in season 1. However, Long had already taken on a number of prominent horror projects in the years prior, including Barbarian and It’s a Wonderful Knife. As it takes place during a different point in his career, Schwimmer’s casting could be the beginning of a Long-esque relationship to the genre, allowing the Friends star to continue exploring horror in other upcoming projects.

Goosebumps: The Vanishing arrives on Disney+ on January 10.