Matt LeBlanc plays himself, and a bit of Joey, in sitcom Man With a Plan
Actor will never shake off his Friends character, Joey Tribbiani, and nor would he want to, but is throwing himself into new series Man With a Plan and relishing his part in car show Top Gear
Shades of Joey Tribbiani still linger in Matt LeBlanc’s mannerisms – in the transparent bemusement on his face when asked a question he doesn’t know how to answer, the genial tone of his voice and in his easy smile. Any second now, you expect him to nod in your direction, raise his eyebrows, and utter Joey’s catchphrase, “How you doin’?”
That LeBlanc will most likely never be able to fully shake off Joey is to be expected. It was, after all, that role on the show Friends that made him a household name, a very wealthy man, and endowed him with the opportunity to pick and choose his projects.
He went ahead and picked four – although one of them, the sharply observant comedy Episodes, is drawing to a close. (The less said about the short-lived Friends spin-off, Joey, the better.) His newest is the upcoming sitcom Man With a Plan, in which he plays a father who takes on more child-rearing responsibilities.
And, at some point, LeBlanc will return to the set of the British auto show, the global behemoth Top Gear, to resume co-hosting responsibilities.
I’m Joey Tribbiani’s biggest fan. I’m very proud of being on Friends.
On a recent afternoon in a Beverly Hills hotel, LeBlanc, 49, was philosophical about the life-transforming event that was Friends, which ended in 2004 after a decade-long run. He says he wishes he had a “great, grand master plan”. But he didn’t.