Matt LeBlanc facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Matt LeBlanc
LeBlanc in 2013
Born	Matthew Steven LeBlanc (1967-07-25) July 25, 1967 (age 57) Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1987–present
Known for	Friends (1994–2004) Joey (2004–2006) Episodes (2011–2017) Man with a Plan (2016–2020) Top Gear (2016–2019)
Spouse(s)	Melissa McKnight ​ ​ (m. 2003; div. 2006)​
Partner(s)	Andrea Anders (2006–2014)
Children	1
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Matt LeBlanc (born July 25, 1967) is a famous American actor. He is best known for playing the funny character Joey Tribbiani in the TV show Friends. He also starred in a show called Joey, which was a spin-off from Friends.

For his acting in Friends, he was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards. Later, he played a funny, fictional version of himself in the show Episodes. He even won a Golden Globe Award for this role! He also co-hosted the popular car show Top Gear. From 2016 to 2020, he starred as Adam Burns in the TV show Man with a Plan.

Early Life and Career Start

Matt LeBlanc was born in Newton, Massachusetts. His mother was an office manager, and his father was a mechanic. He has a brother named Justin. His family background is French-Canadian and Italian.

He went to Newton North High School. After high school, he attended Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston but left after a short time.

At 17, LeBlanc moved to New York to try modeling. He was told he was too short for modeling, so he started acting. He got his first acting manager after someone invited him to an audition. Before landing the role in Friends, he was very low on money.

Acting Career Highlights

Early Roles (1987–1994)

LeBlanc at the 47th Primetime Emmy Awards, 1995

Matt LeBlanc first appeared in a TV commercial for Heinz Tomato Ketchup in 1987. In 1988, he starred in a TV drama called TV 101 for one season. He also had a recurring role on the hit show Married... with Children in 1991. He played Vinnie Verducci, a friend of the main character, Al Bundy.

LeBlanc also appeared in two spin-off shows from Married... with Children: Top of the Heap (1991) and Vinnie & Bobby (1992). He was also in music videos for famous bands like Bon Jovi, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and Alanis Morissette.

Friends and Joey (1994–2006)

LeBlanc became very famous for playing the kind but not-so-smart character Joey Tribbiani on Friends. He played Joey for 12 years, through 10 seasons of Friends and two seasons of its spin-off show, Joey. Friends was a huge success for NBC.

For his role as Joey, LeBlanc was nominated for many awards, including three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe nominations. During this time, he also appeared in movies like Ed (1996), Lost in Space (1998), and Charlie's Angels (2000) and its sequel (2003). After Joey ended, LeBlanc took a break from acting on TV for five years.

Career Revival (2011–Present)

LeBlanc at the Golden Globes with Meryl Streep, 2012

In 2011, LeBlanc returned to TV in the show Episodes. In this show, he played a funny, fictional version of himself. The show was created by one of the co-creators of Friends. For his role in Episodes, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award four times. In 2012, he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.

In 2012, LeBlanc appeared on the car show Top Gear. He set the fastest lap time in the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" challenge. He beat the previous record holder, Rowan Atkinson, by a tiny bit. He later became one of the main hosts of Top Gear from 2016 to 2019. In 2018, he announced he was leaving the show to spend more time with his family.

From 2016 to 2020, LeBlanc also starred in the CBS sitcom Man with a Plan. He played the main character, Adam Burns, until the show was cancelled in 2020.

Personal Life

Matt LeBlanc loves cars and used to work as a carpenter before he became an actor. In 2003, he married Melissa McKnight, who had two children from a previous marriage. They had a daughter in 2004. Their daughter had some health issues when she was very young, but she mostly recovered by age two. LeBlanc and McKnight divorced in 2006.

LeBlanc later dated actress Andrea Anders from 2006 to 2014. They met while working together on the show Joey. Matt LeBlanc mostly lives in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Matt LeBlanc para niños