Friends actor David Schwimmer was originally offered the role of Agent J in Men In Black before it went to Will Smith – but turned it down because he's just a really nice chap.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, Schwimmer explained why he declined the opportunity – and it really was just a simple case of bad timing and loyalty.

At the time, Ross, (sorry, David... easily done) was directing his first film and wanted to cast his entire theatre company, which was made up of his old friends.

"So, that was my goal... to bring everyone up with me, to give everyone a shot," he said (via Den of Geek).

"And I did it. And the next year it was set to go into production in Chicago. And it was called Dog Water – now it's called Since You've Been Gone. But I shot my first film and the entire theatre company is in it.

"I told everyone in the theatre company, 'You're all cast, here are your roles, don't take any other jobs for this six-week period'."

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Related: So, which Friends star had the most successful career after the show finished?

"So everyone turned down all these opportunities," Schwimmer continued. "These teaching jobs. Other plays. You know, everyone was banking on doing this first film with me."

And then about a month before production started, he got a call about Men In Black, which was "a direct conflict with directing that film" and so he turned it down – simple as that. What a nice guy.

NBC

Related: 23 everyday phrases that Friends gave us

"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 film back] because I've gotta go back to work on Friends in the fall," he said.

Earlier this month, Schwimmer said Friends fame "made him want to hide under a baseball cap and not be seen" and described the experience of being world famous as "pretty jarring".

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