Matt LeBlanc

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Matt LeBlanc is best known as Joey Tribiani in the hit sitcom Friends, which ended its ten-year, run in 2004. Before finding gold with his role in Friends, LeBlanc spent some time in short-lived sitcom hell.

Born on July 25, 1967 in Newton, Massachusetts, LeBlanc started his career modeling and acting in TV commercials. He was easily recognizable from his Heinz ketchup, Levi’s and Doritos commercials.

His first series was 1988’s high school drama TV 101, where Leblanc played the popular jock. That same year, he had guest appearances on Just the Ten of Us.

In 1990, he co-starred with Robert Conrad in the made-for-TV movie Anything to Survive. The next two years would prove to be somewhat of a tease for LeBlanc. He was cast opposite Joseph Bologna and Rita Moreno in the Married With Children spin-off Top of the Heap that lasted one season and the next year he was brought back to revive his character Vinnie in the sitcom Vinnie and Bobby (1992), but that lasted only a season as well. In 1993, he appeared in the movie The Killing Box.

It wasn’t until the next year, 1994, that LeBlanc’s life would turn around. An ensemble piece titled Friends cast LeBlanc in his most memorable role to date. The ensemble was rounded out by Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow. Aptly named, the Friends cast actually became very good friends off camera. Their “all for one, one for all” contract negotiations had them earning $1 million an episode in the show’s last two years.

A big hit on TV, Matt’s feature film career hasn’t been as blessed. His first feature film to capitalize on his TV fame cast him opposite a monkey in the box office flop Ed (1996). In 1998, LeBlanc starred in the critically slammed Lost in Space opposite William Hurt, Mimi Rogers, Lacey Chabert and Heather Graham. Also that year, he was in the film Lookin’ Italian. He also had a supporting role in the big screen version of Charlie’s Angels starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu. LeBlanc next starred opposite Eddie Izzard in the comedy All the Queen’s Men and reprised his role as Jason in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.

In 2004, the hit sitcom Friends came to an end. With the end of Friends, came the spin-off Joey, that debuted in the fall of 2004.

He married his long-time girlfriend, Melissa McKnight, in 2003.

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