Matt LeBlanc

sanja · June 14, 2006

A former model and commercial actor who utilized his working-class ethnic good looks for comedic effect in several sitcoms, LeBlanc began his professional career in commercials for Heinz Ketchup, Levi's Jeans and Doritos. He entered series TV with the high school drama, "TV 101" (CBS, 1988-89) and appeared in sitcom guest spots before co-starring, opposite Joseph Bologna, in the "Married With Children" spin-off "Top of the Heap" (Fox, 1990-91). As Vinnie, the younger half of a blue-collar father-son team that attempted to prey on rich women, LeBlanc demonstrated that he could smile, wear tight jeans and act dim-witted. After that short-lived gig, he reprised the role for another failed effort, "Vinnie and Bobby" (Fox, 1991-92).

LeBlanc finally struck sitcom gold as part of the twentysomething ensemble series, "Friends" (NBC, 1994-2004), as aspiring actor Joey Tribiani. The beefy actor provided enough charm and wit to his character to elevate what could have been just another "himbo" role. He has also appeared in more serious TV projects including "Anything to Survive" (ABC, 1990), a telefilm co-starring Robert Conrad, and two feature-length installments of Showtime's stylish "Rebel Highway" (1994) series: the John Milius-directed "Motorcycle Gang" and "Reform School Girl", helmed by Jonathan Kaplan. The former was a "family against nature" tale while the latter two were zesty remakes of two 1957 American International Pictures drive-in flicks. His feature debut, "Ed" (1996), in which he played straight man to a chimp, however, failed to win over critics and audiences. LeBlanc fared somewhat better with his turn as Major Don West in the feature version of the 60s TV series "Lost in Space" (1998). He also brought a dash of Joey-esque charm to his role as Lucy Liu's Hollywood actor boyfriend in the smash 2000 remake "Charlie's Angels."

In 2002, LeBlanc challenged his beefy boy image in his starring turn as O'Rourke in the war comedy "All The Queen's Men," in which he is asked to cross enemy lines while cross-dressed in order to infiltrate a factory which exclusively employs women but the film was roundly panned, but LeBlanc re-earned audience's goodwill with another small but sparkling turn in "Charlie's Angels 2: Full Throttle" (2003) and a heavily hyped storyline on "Friends" that had womanizing Joey falling for his close gal pal Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), a turn of events LeBlanc pulled off with surprising vulnerability and his increasingly disarming comedic delivery. As the venerable series headed into its final season, NBC announced that upon the conclusion of "Friends" the character of Joey Tribiani would be spun off into his own solo series, produced by a team of "Friends" scribes and starring LeBlanc, who would also have a creative and financial stake in the new venture.

Also Credited As:

Matthew LeBlanc

Born:

on 07/25/1967 in Newton, Massachusetts

Job Titles:

Actor, Model

Family

Daughter: Marina LeBlanc. born February 8, 2004; mother is wife Melissa McKnight

Father: Paul LeBlanc. born c. 1941; divorced from LeBlanc's mother in 1974

Mother: Pat Grossman. born c. 1941; divorced from LeBlanc's father in 1974

Significant Others

Companion: Melissa McKnight. born c. 1965; announced engagement in November 1998; has a daughter (Jacki) and son (Tyler) from her former marriage to rock singer Anthony Esposito

Education

Newton North High School, Newton, Massachusetts

Milestones

1984 Moved to NYC at age 17 (date approximate)

1988 TV series debut, "TV 101", credited as Matthew LeBlanc

1990 TV-movie debut, "Anything to Survive"

1991 Co-starred as Vinnie Verducci on Fox-TV's short-lived "Married... With Children" sitcom spinoff, "Top of the Heap"

1992 Co-starred on the short-lived Fox-TV "Top of the Heap" spinoff, "Vinnie and Bobby"

1994 Co-starred in the hit NBC ensemble sitcom, "Friends"

1994 Appeared in two Showtime "Rebel Highway" movies, "Motorcycle Gang", directed by John Milius, and "Reform School Girl", directed by Jonathan Kaplan

1996 Feature debut, "Ed"

1998 Played Don West in the feature version of "Lost in Space"

2000 Made uncredited cameo appearance as Lucy Liu's love interest in the feature "Charlie's Angels"

2002 Cast in "Charlie's Angel 2"

2002 Received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor (Musical or Comedy Series) for his role on "Friends"; received a SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

2002 Starred in "All the Queen's Men", playing an American who leads a team of British agents in obtaining a coding device; screened at the Mill Valley Film Festival

2003 Received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor (Musical or Comedy Series) for his role on "Friends"

2004 Received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Lead Actor (Musical or Comedy Series) for his role on "Joey"

2004 Received an Emmy nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on "Friends"

2004 Set to star in his own sitcom titled "Joey"; a spin-off from the award winning sitcom "Friends"

Appeared in a number of national commercials including Levi's, Coca Cola, Heinz Ketchup and Doritos

Raised in Newton, Massachusetts