Rare Young Photos of Matt LeBlanc: The ‘Friends’ Star’s Journey to Fame Will Melt Your Heart
Before the Emmy nods and Joey fame, he was a struggling model—see the throwback proof
In honor of today, his 58th birthday, best known for his hilarious, memorable and lovable portrayal of Joey Tribbiani on Friends, Matt LeBlanc has stolen hearts during his time in Hollywood. Proof of that is the fact that he has eight Emmy nominations and 33 well-known credits to his name, ranging from the time he was young Matt LeBlanc to today. So keep reading to learn all there is to know about the actor who “doesn’t share food.”
Matt LeBlanc young
LeBlanc was born in Newton, Mass., on July 25, 1967. He grew up alongside actor and comedian Louis C.K., the two of them graduating from high school at the same time.
After high school, the future actor attended Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, but dropped out during his second semester at age 17 to pursue modeling. That didn’t work out either, though, because he was told by multiple people that he didn’t have the requisite height. From there, LeBlanc had a few small roles, like a one-season stint on TV 101 (1988-1989), seven episodes on Vinnie and Bobby (1992) and three episodes on Married…with Children (1991).
During this time, he could also be seen in music videos for Jon Bon Jovi’s “Miracle” (1990), Alanis Morissette’s “Walk Away” (1991) and a Heinz Ketchup commercial (1992). Despite all this success, though, LeBlanc only had eleven dollars to his name when he booked Friends in 1994.
Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani
Similar to his co-stars, LeBlanc was really unknown when he was cast as actor, food lover and playboy Joseph “Joey” Tribbiani. He almost didn’t get the part, though, because he showed up to his audition with a huge cut on his forehead. “I was practicing lines with an actor friend of mine, and he said, ‘This show [Friends] is all about a group of friends, so we should go out tonight and get drunk as if we were friends,'” Leblanc recalled in the 2021 Friends reunion. “So we went out, and I fell down and skinned my nose really badly. I went to the audition with a huge scab on my face.” It turns out it didn’t matter, though, because the producers decided he was the perfect choice for Joey.
LeBlanc went on to star as Joey Tribbiani for 10 seasons and coined the popular phrases “How you doin’?” and “Joey doesn’t share food!”
He also had a huge part in Joey’s character development and who his character was and became over the show’s run. “There was a conversation I had early on when the show was just starting to take shape, and I remember standing back and being as objective as I could about Joey and thinking, ‘This thing could go a long time.’ Does my character fit if it goes a long time? Because in the beginning, I was hitting on the girls all the time.” LeBlanc recalled at the 2021 reunion.
LeBlanc further spoke on this change way back in the day, saying per Vanity Fair: “Strictly out of self-preservation, I went to Marta and David and said, ‘Can I ask you guys something? I have an idea.’ They said, ‘Yeah, sure.’ I said, ‘What if Joey hits on every girl in New York, but these three [Monica, Rachel and Phoebe]? What if I’m like a big brother to these three?’ Of course, I didn’t say, ‘Because I’m afraid that you’re going to run out of stories for me. I’m going to have to move out from across the hall.’ We went in that direction, and then my guy fit in more. He became this sort of big brother to the group.”
LeBlanc was nominated for three Emmys for his time on this show, in 2002, 2003, and 2004, respectively, in the category of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
Matt LeBlanc’s life after ‘Friends‘
Post Friends, LeBlanc starred in the spin-off series Joey for two seasons from 2004 to 2006. He was the only character to get a spin-off. He also could be seen in five episodes of Web Therapy and the movie Lovestruck, both in 2013.
LeBlanc’s next big role came in 2011 when he played a version of himself in the show Episodes, which earned him four more Emmy nominations as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
Episodes ended in 2017, but LeBlanc’s career kept on going as he booked his next sitcom, Man with a Plan, in 2016. It ran for four seasons and a total of 69 episodes.
“In Friends I was part of a cast where if you equate it to a football team, you could give the ball to anyone and they’d run it to the end zone. So that’s what I was looking for,” LeBlanc told The Hollywood Reporter of his Man With a Plan castmates in 2019. “I wanted to have a strong cast around me, where anyone could score the joke, where anyone could drive story. You want to have craftsmen around you. It makes me look better.”
Inside Matt LeBlanc’s personal life
On the personal front, Matt LeBlanc was married to Melissa McKnight from 2003 to 2006, but they got divorced after he had an affair with Andrea Anders. Prior to the split, LeBlanc and McKnight welcomed one daughter together named Marina Pearl LeBlanc in 2004. “I remember when my daughter, Marina, was born. The second I laid eyes on her, I was in love, and I had never felt that way before, I couldn’t believe it,” the actor said, per the Mirror. “I knew from that moment there was nothing that would ever stop me from loving her—even if she crashed my Ferrari.” LeBlanc is currently 58 years old and resides in Los Angeles, California.
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