Matt LeBlanc

Early life

Matthew Steven LeBlanc was born at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Massachusetts. His mother, Patricia (), was an office manager; his father, Paul LeBlanc, was a mechanic and a veteran of the Vietnam War. He has a brother named Justin LeBlanc. His father is of French-Canadian descent and his mother is of Italian ancestry, the daughter of immigrants from Arce, Lazio. He attended Newton North High School, where he graduated in the same year as future comedian Louis C.K. After high school he attended college at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. He dropped out shortly after starting his second semester.

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. 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.

Career

1987–1994: Early career

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. 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".

1994–2006: ''Friends'', ''Joey'' and film roles

LeBlanc 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.

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.

2011–present: Career revival

From 2011, LeBlanc appeared as a fictionalized version of himself in Episodes, a television series about an American remake of a fictional British television series. The series is written by Friends co-creator David Crane and his partner Jeffrey Klarik. The role was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award four times and, at the 69th Golden Globe Awards in 2012, LeBlanc was awarded Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy of 2011.

In February 2012, LeBlanc appeared in the second episode of the eighteenth series 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. He later appeared in the fourth episode of the nineteenth series to race the new Kia Cee'd, with which he beat his previous time.

In February 2016, the BBC announced LeBlanc had signed on to become one of the new Top Gear hosts, signing a two-year deal later that year. 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. He and Rory Reid were replaced by new co-hosts Paddy McGuinness and Andrew Flintoff for the twenty-seventh series in June 2019.

LeBlanc played the lead role in the CBS sitcom Man with a Plan, which began airing in 2016 until it was cancelled in 2020.

Personal life

LeBlanc has an extensive interest in cars, and worked as a carpenter before acting. In the mid-1990s, he dated actress Kate Hudson. He married Melissa McKnight, a British-born American model and a divorced single mother of two children, in May 2003. They had been introduced to each other in 1997 by McKnight's friend, Kelly Phillips (wife of actor Lou Diamond Phillips). LeBlanc proposed to her a year later. LeBlanc and McKnight divorced in October 2006, citing irreconcilable differences.

LeBlanc met actress Andrea Anders in 2004, while she was co-starring as his friend and eventual love interest on Joey. The pair eventually embarked on a relationship, which was confirmed in 2006 following LeBlanc's divorce from his wife Melissa McKnight. After over eight years as a couple, LeBlanc announced at the start of 2015 that he and Anders had separated several months earlier.

LeBlanc started getting gray hair around the second season of Friends and dyed his hair throughout the course of the series. Once the spin-off series Joey ended, he stopped dyeing his hair.

LeBlanc primarily resides in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Matt LeBlanc

References

References

1. (2024-06-29). "Matt LeBlanc's Funniest Moments". [[Showtime (TV network).
2. Tauber, Michelle. (May 19, 2003). "Way to Go, Joey!".
3. (October 16, 2015). "Matt LeBlanc takes his Italian origins to his heart".
4. Rafanelli, Stephanie. (May 17, 2014). "Matt LeBlanc: 'I have an ego, but I try to leave it at the door'". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
5. Radsken, Jill. (September 20, 2015). "Louis C.K. and Matt LeBlanc, way back when". [[The Boston Globe]].
6. "Joey Was Here – WIT Magazine".
7. "Matt LeBlanc".
8. (February 1, 2019). "Matt LeBlanc Was Down to $11 Before Friends".
9. (September 20, 2010). "Bon Jovi – Say It Isn' So". YouTube.
10. "Top Gear; Series 18, Episode 2".
11. (June 27, 2014). "Matt LeBlanc on Life after 'Friends' and Taking a Six Year Hiatus".
12. Hunt, Stacey Wilson. (August 17, 2011). "Emmys 2011: Matt LeBlanc on Playing Matt LeBlanc".
13. Rampton, James. (January 6, 2011). "Episodes: The one where Matt LeBlanc plays himself...". The Independent.
14. (January 4, 2011). "Matt LeBlanc Spoofs Himself On Comedy 'Episodes'".
15. Parks, Tim. (September 30, 2009). "LeBlanc to star as himself on 'Episodes'".
16. "Nominations & Winners".
17. (February 4, 2016). "Matt LeBlanc joins Top Gear!".
18. (September 26, 2016). "Top Gear: Matt LeBlanc signs two-series deal".
19. (May 31, 2018). "Matt LeBlanc to leave Top Gear".
20. Andreeva, Nellie. (June 21, 2016). "CBS Sets Fall 2016 Premiere Dates, Slates JonBenet Ramsey Limited Series".
21. (January 31, 2019). "Hiking with Kevin".
22. (August 1, 1996). "Matt LeBlanc wants to wed Goldie's teenage daughter". The Hamilton Spectator.
23. Beard, Lanford. (2005). "The Real Stories Behind the Glitter". Chamberlain Bros..
24. Wulff, Jennifer. (April 17, 2006). "Matt Leblanc's Surprise Split".
25. Sawer, Patrick. (February 6, 2016). "New Top Gear presenter Matt LeBlanc on his daughter, his marriage breakdown and his darkest years". The Daily Telegraph.
26. (April 6, 2006). "Matt LeBlanc's Other Woman".
27. (April 6, 2006). "Matt LeBlanc's Other Woman". [[People (magazine).
28. Wulff, Jennifer. (April 17, 2006). "Matt Leblanc's Surprise Split". [[People (magazine).
29. Krishnan, Joe. (January 7, 2015). "Matt LeBlanc announces split from partner Andrea Anders after eight years". [[Evening Standard]].
30. (November 8, 2017). "Matt LeBlanc recalls going gray on 'Friends' — and hilarious hair-dye mishap".
31. "Matt LeBlanc's Pacific Palisades Mansion is Selling for $8.75 Million".
32. (February 21, 2020). "'Friends' Reunion Special Officially A Go At HBO Max With Cast Returning".