A lookalike of “Friends” star David Schwimmer was not there for you — or for his court date.
According to the Guardian, a judge in Blackpool, England, issued an arrest warrant for Abdulah Husseni, a suspected thief whose surveillance footage went viral because he’s the spitting image of Schwimmer’s “Friends” character Ross Geller.
The arrest warrant was issued after Husseni failed to answer court summons on charges of theft and fraud.
Back in October, police in Blackpool were flooded with social media comments when they posted surveillance footage of Husseni with the caption, “Do you recognize this man?” “Friends” fans who thought the thief resembled Schwimmer responded in turn with a litany of quotes from the show.
Police in Scotland even got in on the fun, with the Dumfries Galloway Police Division sending out a Facebook plea saying: “Please approach with caution. He is known to have studied karate and we believe he has mastered the art of Unagi, the state of total awareness.”
Then Schwimmer took the time to clear his name and let Blackpool police he was in New York at the time of the theft, responding with his own video imitating the surveillance footage.
“Officers, I swear it wasn’t me. As you can see, I was in New York,” Schwimmer said on Twitter. “To the hardworking Blackpool police, good luck with the investigation.”
Officers, I swear it wasn't me. As you can see, I was in New York. To the hardworking Blackpool Police, good luck with the investigation.#itwasntmepic.twitter.com/EDFF9dZoYR
Thankfully, police in Lancashire were quick to let fans know that Schwimmer himself was not a suspect.
“Thank you to everyone for your speedy responses,” the force said via The Guardian. “We have investigated this matter thoroughly and have confirmed that David Schwimmer was in America on this date. We’re so sorry it has to be this way.”
Husseni is 36, far younger than the 51-year-old Schwimmer, but the resemblance in the video is uncanny. According to the Guardian, he was arrested in November in West London in relation to items being stolen from a restaurant in Blackpool in September.
10 Shows Featuring Ex-'Friends' Stars Ranked: From 'Feed the Beast' to 'Cougar Town' (Photos)
The six stars of NBC's '90s sitcom smash have had a mixed record with TV follow-ups
1. Matt LeBlanc/"Episodes" Probably the most successful of the TV offerings from an ex-"Friend," LeBlanc played a clueless Hollywood actor in this show-biz satire that ran for four seasons on Showtime.
Showtime
2. Courteney Cox/"Cougar Town" This one was a sleeper. Critics at first hated the concept and title, which seemed to promise Cox as an older woman on the prowl. But it slowly grew into a sly comedy (first on ABC then TBS) about middle-aged suburbanites who drink and gossip far too much.
ABC
3. Matthew Perry/"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" The critics generally liked it, as they do much of the output of writer-producer Aaron Sorkin. But this satire of a "Saturday Night Live"-style variety show might have been a bit too insider-y for network TV, prompting its quick demise. NBC gave it a single season in 2006-07.
NBC
4. Matthew Perry/"The Odd Couple" It helps to base a sitcom on a classic Neil Simon play, which then became a movie and a long-running 1970s TV comedy. On CBS' version, Perry returns as Oscar Madison, the lovable slob who moves in with a fussy fellow bachelor.
CBS
5. Lisa Kudrow/"The Comeback" Like "Episodes," this show was a "meta" Hollywood satire, with Kudrow playing an aging sitcom queen trying to hang on to her relevance. HBO tried it in 2005 and revived the show in 2014, but most critics found it more cringe-inducing than funny.
HBO
6. Matthew Perry/"Go On" Perry in yet another sports comedy. Here he was a sportscaster who attends grief counseling following the death of his wife. Perhaps a bit too dark for a network comedy, "Go On" struggled to find the right tone and aired for just one season on NBC in 2012.
NBC
7. Lisa Kudrow/"Web Therapy" Showtime got four seasons out of this one, with Kudrow playing a therapist dispensing treatment in webcam sessions. "Generally inert," opined one critic.
Showtime
8. Matt LeBlanc/"Joey" How you doin'? Not so good in this 2004 sitcom that tried to spin off LeBlanc's character into his own vehicle. Two seasons and it was done.
9. Matthew Perry/"Mr. Sunshine" Fumble! This comedy with Perry as a beleaguered sports-arena manager aired just nine episodes in 2011 before ABC benched it for good.
ABC
10. David Schwimmer/"Feed the Beast" Give Schwimmer points for being different. The guy who played smart, socially clumsy Ross is back as a budding restaurateur in this AMC drama, but be warned, critics have not been kind: "A mess," one wrote.
AMC
Jennifer Aniston Well, she's not on the TV list, because after "Friends," the woman who played Rachel has focused on her film career, with starring roles in "Mother's Day," "Cake," and "Horrible Bosses," to name a few.
1 of 12
The six stars of NBC’s ’90s sitcom smash have had a mixed record with TV follow-ups, as David Schwimmer tackles AMC’s latest crime drama
The six stars of NBC's '90s sitcom smash have had a mixed record with TV follow-ups