 Schwimmer starred in his first leading film role in the 1996 romantic comedy film , The Pallbearer with Gwyneth Paltrow . In the film , Schwimmer plays a man asked to deliver the eulogy for a high school friend he cannot remember , and begins an affair with the friend 's mother . Critics dismissed The Pallbearer as a poor imitation of the 1967 film The Graduate . Variety 's film reviewer complimented the actor , writing that he had enjoyed his performance , stating that he displayed " a winning , if rather deadpan , personality along with good comic timing " . It also concluded that Schwimmer had a " promising <unk> future " . Janet Maslin of The New York Times cited that his first film " <unk> him to a drab role " . When asked why he decided to accept the role , Schwimmer admitted the decision was to " make an effort to find roles that are as far away from the character of Ross as possible " . He was offered a role to star alongside Tommy Lee Jones in the 1997 science @-@ fiction comedy Men in Black , but turned it down in favor of starring in The Pallbearer , explaining , " This is an opportunity to grow rather than go for the quick cash " . 
