Matthew Steven LeBlanc (/ləˈblɒŋk/; born July 25, 1967) is an American former actor. He garnered global recognition with his portrayal of Joey Tribbiani in the NBC sitcom Friends and in its spin-off series, Joey. For his work on Friends, LeBlanc received three nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also starred as a fictionalized version of himself in Episodes (2011–2017), for which he won a Golden Globe Award and received four additional Emmy Award nominations. He co-hosted Top Gear from 2016 to 2019. From 2016 to 2020, he played patriarch Adam Burns in the CBS sitcom Man with a Plan.
Matt LeBlanc | |
|---|---|
.jpg) LeBlanc in 2013 | |
| Born | Matthew Steven LeBlanc July 25, 1967 Newton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1987–2024 |
| Known for |
|
| Spouse |
Melissa McKnight
(m. 2003; div. 2006) |
| Partner | Andrea Anders (2006–2014) |
| Children | 1 |
| Signature | |
 | |
Early life
editLeBlanc was born at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Massachusetts. His mother, Patricia (née Di Cillo), was an office manager; his father, Paul LeBlanc, was a mechanic and a veteran of the Vietnam War. He has a brother Justin LeBlanc.[1][2] His father is of French-Canadian descent and his mother is of Italian ancestry, the daughter of immigrants from Arce, Lazio.[3] He attended Newton North High School, where he graduated in the same year as future comedian Louis C.K.[4] After high school he attended college at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. He dropped out shortly after starting his second semester.[5]
LeBlanc moved to New York at the age of 17 to pursue a career in modeling, but he was told he was too short to be in the industry. His acting career began after a woman invited him to accompany her to an audition, where he ended up getting signed by her manager.[6] Although he had booked commercials and television and film roles before Friends, he was reportedly down to his last eleven dollars before landing the role of Joey Tribbiani.[7]
Career
edit1987–1994: Early career
edit
LeBlanc first appeared in a 1987 Heinz Tomato Ketchup commercial. In 1988, he starred in the television drama TV 101 for one season. In 1991, he had a recurring role on the hit Fox sitcom Married... with Children. He played Vinnie Verducci, a family friend of protagonist Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill) who briefly dates his daughter, Kelly (Christina Applegate). He also guest-starred in the first season of Red Shoe Diaries. LeBlanc starred in two short-lived Married... with Children spin-offs: Top of the Heap (1991) and Vinnie & Bobby (1992).
He appeared in two Bon Jovi music videos: "Miracle," from the Young Guns II soundtrack in 1990, and "Say It Isn't So" in 2000.[8] He also appeared in videos for Alanis Morissette's single "Walk Away," Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers's "Into The Great Wide Open" and Bob Seger's "Night Moves".[9]
1994–2006: Friends, Joey and film roles
editLeBlanc found success as the dimwitted but lovable Joey Tribbiani on Friends; he played this character for 12 years — 10 seasons of Friends and two seasons of Joey. Friends was wildly successful, and LeBlanc (along with co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer) gained wide recognition among viewers. This ensemble situation comedy became a major hit for NBC, airing on Thursday nights for ten years.[10]
For his performance, LeBlanc received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, three Golden Globe award nominations, and one Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. During this time he also appeared in the films Lookin' Italian (1994), Ed (1996), Lost in Space (1998), Charlie's Angels (2000), and its sequel, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003).
Following the cancellation of Joey, LeBlanc announced that he would be taking a one-year hiatus from acting on television, which eventually turned into five years.[11]
2011–2024: Career revival
edit
From 2011, LeBlanc appeared as a fictionalized version of himself in Episodes,[12] a television series about an American remake of a fictional British television series.[13][14] The series is written by Friends co-creator David Crane and his partner Jeffrey Klarik.[15] At the 69th Golden Globe Awards in 2012, LeBlanc won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a television series, musical, or comedy, and was nominated for an additional four Primetime Emmy Awards.[16]
In February 2012, LeBlanc appeared in the second episode of the eighteenth season of Top Gear, where he set the fastest lap time in the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment in a Kia Cee'd. Lapping at 1:42.1, he beat the show's previous record-holder, Rowan Atkinson, by 0.1 seconds.[9] He also appeared in the fourth episode of the nineteenth season to race the New Kia Cee'd, and beat his previous time.
In February 2016, the BBC announced LeBlanc had signed on to become one of the new Top Gear hosts,[17] signing a two-year deal later that year.[18] In May 2018, he announced that he was leaving the series in order to spend more time with his family and friends in the US.[19] He and Rory Reid were replaced by new co-hosts Paddy McGuinness and Andrew Flintoff in the twenty-seventh series in October 2018.
LeBlanc played the lead role in the CBS sitcom Man with a Plan, which began airing in 2016 until it was cancelled in 2020.[20]
In October 2024, it was reported that as a response to the death of Friends co-star Matthew Perry a year prior, LeBlanc had allegedly taken "a significant step back from his (acting) career, opting for a quieter life away from the spotlight".[21] LeBlanc has not issued any official clarifications about his acting future, but some news reports have stated that he has silently retired, along the lines of Jack Nicholson's end to his acting career without any statement by him.
Personal life
editLeBlanc has an extensive interest in cars, and worked as a carpenter before acting.[22] In the mid-1990s, he dated actress Kate Hudson.[23][24] He married Melissa McKnight, a British-born American model and a divorced single mother of two children, in May 2003.[25] In 1997, they had been introduced to each other by McKnight's friend, Kelly Phillips (wife of actor Lou Diamond Phillips). LeBlanc proposed to her a year later.[25] Their daughter, born in 2004, began suffering seizures at eight months old. By the time she was two years old, the condition, thought to be due to cortical dysplasia, had mostly subsided.[25][26] LeBlanc and McKnight divorced in October 2006, citing irreconcilable differences.[27]
LeBlanc met actress Andrea Anders in 2004 while she was co-starring as his friend and eventual love interest on Joey and the pair eventually embarked on a relationship which was confirmed in 2006 following LeBlanc's split from his wife Melissa McKnight.[28][29] After over eight years as a couple, LeBlanc announced at the start of 2015 that he and Anders had been broken up for several months.[30]
LeBlanc primarily resides in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.[31]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Doll Day Afternoon | GI Joe | Film debut, short film |
| 1993 | Grey Knight | Terhue | |
| Red Shoe Diaries 3: Another Woman's Lipstick | Kyle | Segment: "Just Like That" | |
| 1994 | Lookin' Italian | Anthony Manetti | |
| 1996 | Ed | Jack 'Deuce’ Cooper | |
| 1997 | Red Shoe Diaries 7: Burning Up | Jed | Segment: "Kidnap" |
| 1998 | Lost in Space | Major Don West | |
| 2000 | Charlie's Angels | Jason Gibbs | |
| 2001 | All the Queen's Men | O'Rourke | |
| 2003 | Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle | Jason Gibbs | |
| 2010 | Jonah Hex | — | Executive producer |
| 2014 | Lovesick | Charlie Darby |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988–1989 | TV 101 | Chuck Bender | Series regular (13 episodes) |
| 1989 | Just the Ten of Us | Todd Murphy | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | Anything to Survive | Billy Burton | Television movie |
| Monsters | Tommy | Episode: "Shave and a Haircut, Two Bites" | |
| 1991 | Married... with Children | Vinnie Verducci | 4 episodes |
| Top of the Heap | Main cast (7 episodes) | ||
| 1992 | Vinnie & Bobby | Main cast (7 episodes) | |
| 1992–1993 | Red Shoe Diaries | Tom's Brother, Jed Cody/Kyle | 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Class of '96 | Frank Goodman | Episode: "Bright Smoke, Cold Fire" |
| 1994 | Reform School Girl | Vince | Television movie |
| 1994–2004 | Friends | Joey Tribbiani | Main cast (236 episodes) |
| 2004–2006 | Joey | Lead role (46 episodes) | |
| 2011–2017 | Episodes | Fictionalized version of himself[12] | Main cast (41 episodes) |
| 2011–2012 | Top Gear | Himself (guest) | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Web Therapy | Nick Jericho | Web series; 3 episodes |
| Web Therapy | Television series; 2 episodes | ||
| 2015 | The Prince | Television movie; producer | |
| 2016–2019 | Top Gear | Himself (presenter) | 24 episodes (series 23, 24, 25, 26) |
| 2016–2020 | Man with a Plan | Adam Burns | Main cast (69 episodes); also executive producer |
| 2021 | Friends: The Reunion | Himself | HBO Max special; also executive producer[32] |
| Top Gear: A Tribute to Sabine Schmitz | Himself | 1 episode |
Music videos
edit| Year | Title | Artist | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "Miracle" | Jon Bon Jovi | Friend | |
| 1991 | "Into the Great Wide Open" | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | Young man | |
| "Walk Away" | Alanis Morissette | Boyfriend | ||
| 1994 | "Night Moves" | Bob Seger | Young man | |
| 2000 | "Say It Isn't So" | Bon Jovi | Unknown |
Awards and nominations
editReferences
edit- ^ Tauber, Michelle (May 19, 2003). "Way to Go, Joey!". People. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
- ^ "Matt LeBlanc takes his Italian origins to his heart". Italo-Americano. October 16, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
- ^ Rafanelli, Stephanie (May 17, 2014). "Matt LeBlanc: 'I have an ego, but I try to leave it at the door'". The Daily Telegraph. London, England. Archived from the original on January 7, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ^ Radsken, Jill (September 20, 2015). "Louis C.K. and Matt LeBlanc, way back when". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ "Joey Was Here – WIT Magazine". sites.wit.edu. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
- ^ "Matt LeBlanc". IMDb. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
- ^ "Matt LeBlanc Was Down to $11 Before Friends". E! Online. February 1, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
- ^ "Bon Jovi – Say It Isn' So". YouTube. September 20, 2010. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2011.
- ^ a b "Top Gear; Series 18, Episode 2". BBC Two. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
- ^ "Matt LeBlanc Biography – life, family, children, parents, name, story, wife, school, mother – Newsmakers Cumulation". Notable Biographies. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ^ "Matt LeBlanc on Life after 'Friends' and Taking a Six Year Hiatus". The Hollywood Reporter. June 27, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
- ^ a b Hunt, Stacey Wilson (August 17, 2011). "Emmys 2011: Matt LeBlanc on Playing Matt LeBlanc". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
- ^ Rampton, James (January 6, 2011). "Episodes: The one where Matt LeBlanc plays himself...". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
- ^ "Matt LeBlanc Spoofs Himself On Comedy 'Episodes'". Access Hollywood. January 4, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
- ^ Parks, Tim (September 30, 2009). "LeBlanc to star as himself on 'Episodes'". Digital Spy. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
- ^ "Nominations & Winners". Golden Globes. Archived from the original on January 8, 2010. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
- ^ "Matt LeBlanc joins Top Gear!". Top Gear. February 4, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ^ "Top Gear: Matt LeBlanc signs two-series deal". BBC News. September 26, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
- ^ "Matt LeBlanc to leave Top Gear". BBC News. May 31, 2018. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 21, 2016). "CBS Sets Fall 2016 Premiere Dates, Slates JonBenet Ramsey Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ "Matt LeBlanc steps away from acting following Matthew Perry's death: Report". MSN. November 1, 2024. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
- ^ "Hiking with Kevin". YouTube. January 31, 2019.
- ^ "Matt LeBlanc wants to wed Goldie's teenage daughter". The Hamilton Spectator. August 1, 1996.
- ^ Beard, Lanford (2005). The Real Stories Behind the Glitter. Chamberlain Bros. p. 363. ISBN 9781596090910.
- ^ a b c Wulff, Jennifer (April 17, 2006). "Matt Leblanc's Surprise Split". People. Vol. 65, no. 15. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
- ^ Sawer, Patrick (February 6, 2016). "New Top Gear presenter Matt LeBlanc on his daughter, his marriage breakdown and his darkest years". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
- ^ "Matt LeBlanc's Other Woman". People. April 6, 2006. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
- ^ "Matt LeBlanc's Other Woman". People. April 6, 2006.
- ^ Wulff, Jennifer (April 17, 2006). "Matt Leblanc's Surprise Split". People.
- ^ Krishnan, Joe (January 7, 2015). "Matt LeBlanc announces split from partner Andrea Anders after eight years". Evening Standard.
- ^ "Matt LeBlanc's Pacific Palisades Mansion is Selling for $8.75 Million". Forbes.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (February 21, 2020). "'Friends' Reunion Special Officially A Go At HBO Max With Cast Returning". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
External links
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