David Schwimmer initially shied away from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, and aside from appearing as a voice actor in the Madagascar films, he largely disappeared from the public gaze. However, he made a successful leap into the world of directing, helming projects such as Little Britain USA and Growing Up Fisher.

In 2016, Schwimmer was back on TV screens as Rob Kardashian in the TV docu-series The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, and in 2018–2019, he starred in five episodes of Will & Grace.

Most recently, Schwimmer starred in the 2024 dramedy movie Little Death.