| Matt LeBlanc | |
|---|---|
| Born | Matthew Steven LeBlanc July 25, 1967 Newton, Massachusetts, United States |
| Occupation | Actor, Television Producer |
| Years active | 1988 — 2006 |
| Spouse(s) | Melissa McKnight (2003 - 2006) |
Matthew 'Matt' Steven LeBlanc (born July 25, 1967) is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award-nominated American actor, best known for his role as Joey Tribbiani in the NBC sitcoms Friends and Joey.
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His father is Paul LeBlanc, and his mother is Patt Grossman. He is of mixed Irish and French descent on his father's side, and of Italian ancestry on his mother's side. (Sep '06 issue of People magazine) he is almost always cast as Italian.
When LeBlanc was 8 years old he wanted to be a motorcycle racer. He entered into junior competitions before giving it up. Matt trained and did well in carpentry when he was young, winning the "Golden Hammer" award while attending high school. He was also cast as Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Cultural Arts Playhouse.
LeBlanc graduated from Newton North High School in 1985. Before Newton North, Matt attended Frank Ashley Day Junior High School located in Newton, Massachusetts. After high school he attended college at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, MA. He left shortly after starting his second semester.
In the late 1980s, Le Blanc began appearing in a number of television ads, including well-known spots for Heinz, Levi's and Coca-Cola. Matt has said that with one ketchup commercial he was able to buy a house, a car, a motorcycle, and a wardrobe full of clothes.
In 1988, he landed his first regular TV role on the drama TV 101 which ran for one season. In the late 1980s, he also starred in Bob Seger's "Night Moves" music video. In 1990 he starred in Jon Bon Jovi's music video "Miracle", from the Young Guns II sound track. In 1991 he starred in the music video for Alanis Morissette's single "Walk Away", in which he played her boyfriend. Later in 1991, he went on to star in a spin-off of Married With Children entitled Top of the Heap. The short lived series only lasted 7 episodes in April and May of 1991. He also played his Top of the Heap character Vinnie Verducci in a number of Married With Children episodes. Le Blanc also appeared in one episode of Red Shoe Diaries in 1991.
Le Blanc finally made it big when he landed the role of Joey Tribbiani in 1994 on Friends, and went on to play this character for twelve years--ten seasons of Friends and two seasons of Joey. When Matt LeBlanc auditioned for the role as Joey Tribbiani he only had $11 to his name. When the cast got their paychecks, the first thing he bought was a hot dinner.[1] Friends was hugely successful and Le Blanc, along with his co-stars, gained wide recognition among television viewers.
Le Blanc's most notable movie roles have been in the films Ed (1996), Lost in Space (1998), Charlie's Angels (2000) and All the Queen's Men (2001).
Le Blanc has not appeared on screen since Joey was cancelled in 2006 as he is now concentrating on his own production company, Fort Hill Productions, along with his partner John Goldstone. Fort Hill Productions has co-produced the made-for-TV movie, The Prince in 2006, and will co-produce the James Wong directed movie, The Watch.[2]
From 2002-2004, Le Blanc was nominated three consecutive years as Best Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy Awards, while from 2003-2005 he received three consecutive Best Actor nominations at the Golden Globe Awards. In 2000, he won Editor's Choice in TV Guide Awards (as Friends). In 2002, he won TV - Choice Actor - Comedy at the Teen Choice Awards (as Friends). In 2005, he won Favorite Male Television Star at the People's Choice Awards.
On May 3, 2003, LeBlanc married his girlfriend of six years, Melissa McKnight. They have one daughter, Marina Pearl LeBlanc, who was born February 8, 2004. Marina Pearl was diagnosed as having a rare brain disorder, cortical dysplasia, [1] that affects her motor abilities and causes seizures. He also has a stepdaughter, Jacquelyn, 13, and a stepson, Tyler, 17, from Melissa's previous marriage
In August 2005, LeBlanc publicly apologized to his wife and the public for having inappropriate contact with a stripper during a vacation in British Columbia. The couple separated on January 1, 2006, and in March of that year, LeBlanc filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Their divorce became final on October 6, 2006. According to Entertainment Tonight, LeBlanc is now dating Joey co-star Andrea Anders.
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