Matt LeBlanc
| Matt LeBlanc | |
|---|---|
 LeBlanc in 2011 | |
| Born |
Matthew Steven LeBlanc July 25, 1967 Newton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, television host, comedian |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Known for |
Friends Episodes Man with a Plan Joey Top Gear |
| Spouse(s) |
Melissa McKnight (m. 2003; div. 2006) |
| Partner(s) |
Andrea Anders (2006–2015) Aurora Mulligan (2016–present) |
| Children | 1[1] |
Matthew Steven LeBlanc (/ləˈblɒŋk/; born July 25, 1967)[2] is an American actor, comedian and television host. He received international recognition for his portrayal of dim-witted womaniser Joey Tribbiani on the NBC sitcom Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004. For his work on Friends, LeBlanc received three Emmy Award nominations. LeBlanc has also starred as a fictionalized version of himself in the BBC/Showtime comedy series Episodes (2011–2017), for which he won a Golden Globe Award and received four additional Emmy Award nominations. From 2016 to 2018, LeBlanc hosted the BBC series Top Gear. He plays Adam Burns in the CBS sitcom Man with a Plan since 2016.
Early life
LeBlanc was born in Newton, Massachusetts. His mother, Patricia (née Di Cillo), was an office manager, and his father, Paul LeBlanc, was a mechanic.[2][3][4] His father is of French-Canadian descent and his mother is of Italian ancestry.[5] He attended Newton North High School, and graduated in 1985, alongside comedian Louis C.K.[6][7]
At the age of 17 LeBlanc moved to New York to pursue a career in modelling.[7]
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, the son of one of the friends of the protagonist, Al Bundy and the boyfriend of Al's daughter, Kelly. He went on to star in two short-lived spin-offs of Married... with Children, Top of the Heap in 1991 and Vinnie and Bobby in 1992.
He appeared in two of Jon Bon Jovi's music videos: "Miracle", from the Young Guns II soundtrack in 1990, and "Say It Isn't So" in 2000.[8] He also appeared in Alanis Morissette's single "Walk Away" in 1991, in the last seconds of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers "Into the Great Wide Open" in which he is seen getting a tattoo, and in Bob Seger's "Night Moves" in 1994.[9]
1994–2004: Breakout role as Joey Tribbiani
LeBlanc found success in the role of Joey Tribbiani on Friends, and went on to play this character for 12 years — 10 seasons of Friends and two seasons of Joey. Friends was successful and LeBlanc, along with his co-stars, gained wide recognition among viewers. This ensemble situation comedy became a major hit for NBC, airing on Thursday nights for ten years.[10]
For his performance, LeBlanc received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, three Golden Globe award nominations, and one Screen Actors Guild Award. 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).
2006–2011: Hiatus
Following the cancellation of Joey, LeBlanc announced that he would be taking a one-year hiatus from acting on TV, which later turned into five years. His next role would be as a fictionalized version of himself on Episodes.[11]
2011–present: Episodes, Top Gear & Man with a Plan
In 2011, LeBlanc began appearing as a fictional version of himself in Episodes, a BBC/Showtime television series about a British television series that is remade for an American audience.[12][13] The series is written by Friends co-creator David Crane and his partner Jeffrey Klarik.[14] LeBlanc won the 2012 Golden Globe for Best Actor in a TV Series Comedy for his performance, and was nominated for an additional four Primetime Emmy Awards.[15] The final season of Episodes, its fifth, began filming in 2016 and premiered in 2017.[16]
In February 2012, LeBlanc appeared in the second episode of the eighteenth series of Top Gear, where he set the fastest time of 1:42.1 in the Kia Cee'd, narrowly beating previous holder Rowan Atkinson by 0.1 seconds.[9] He also appeared in the fourth episode of the nineteenth season, to race the New Kia Cee'd, and beat his previous time. In February 2016, the BBC announced LeBlanc was to be one of the new presenters of Top Gear.[17] In September 2016, LeBlanc signed a new two-year deal to continue hosting Top Gear.[18] It was confirmed on 31 May 2018 that LeBlanc had decided to leave Top Gear after 3 years on the show. Matt's last series will air in Autumn 2018. Matt said about leaving the show stating, "LeBlanc said that despite the show being "great fun", the "time commitment and extensive travel... takes me away from my family and friends more than I'm comfortable with." He added: "It's unfortunate, but for these reasons I will not be continuing my involvement with the show. I will forever be a Top Gear fan and I wish the team continued success. Thanks for a great drive." The twenty-sixth series will be the last with LeBlanc.[19]
Since 2016, LeBlanc has starred in the CBS sitcom Man with a Plan.[20]
Personal life
LeBlanc married Melissa McKnight (b. 1964 or 65), an American model, in May 2003.[21] McKnight and LeBlanc had been introduced in 1997 by her friend Kelly Phillips, wife of actor Lou Diamond Phillips, and LeBlanc proposed to her a year later.[21] Their daughter Marina Pearl, born in 2004, began suffering seizures when she was eight months old. By the time she was two years old, however, the condition, thought to be a form of dysplasia, had mostly subsided. He was also step-father to McKnight's two children from her first marriage, Tyler (b. 1991) and Jacqueline Esposito.[21][22]
LeBlanc and McKnight separated on January 1, 2006.[21][23] Later in March of that year, LeBlanc and McKnight filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce became final on October 6, 2006.[23]
After his divorce, LeBlanc began dating actress Andrea Anders. The two met while filming the short-lived sitcom Joey. A representative for the pair confirmed the couple had split in January 2015.[24]
In March 2018, LeBlanc confirmed that he was dating Aurora Mulligan, a producer on Top Gear.[7]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Doll Day Afternoon | GI Joe | Film debut Short film |
| 1990 | Jon Bon Jovi: Miracle | Friend | Music video/short video |
| 1991 | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Into the Great Wide Open | Young Man | |
| 1993 | Grey Knight | Terhue | |
| Red Shoe Diaries 3: Another Woman's Lipstick | Kyle | Segment: "Just Like That" | |
| 1994 | Lookin' Italian | Anthony Manetti | |
| 1996 | Ed | Jack 'Deuce Cooper' | |
| 1997 | Red Shoe Diaries 7: Burning Up | Jed | Segment: "Kidnap" |
| 1998 | Lost in Space | Major Don West | |
| 2000 | Bon Jovi: Say It Isn't So | Unknown | Music video/short video |
| Charlie's Angels | Jason Gibbs | ||
| 2001 | All the Queen's Men | O'Rourke | |
| 2003 | Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle | Jason Gibbs | |
| 2009 | The Rembrandts: I'll Be There for You | Joey Tribianni | Music video/video short |
| 2010 | Jonah Hex | N/A | Executive producer |
| 2014 | Lovesick | Charlie Darby |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988–1989 | TV 101 | Chuck Bender | Television debut Series regular; 13 episodes |
| 1989 | Just the Ten of Us | Todd Murphy | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | Anything to Survive | Billy Burton | Television movie |
| Monsters | Tommy | Episode: "Shave and a Haircut, Two Bites" | |
| 1991 | Top of the Heap | Vinnie Verducci | Recurring role; 7 episodes |
| Married...with Children | 3 episodes | ||
| 1992–1993 | Vinnie & Bobby | Series regular; 7 episodes | |
| Red Shoe Diaries | Tom's Brother, Jed Cody/Kyle | 2 episodes | |
| 1993 | Class of '96 | Frank Goodman | Episode: "Bright Smoke, Cold Fire" |
| 1994 | Reform School Girl | Vince | Television movie |
| Rebel Highway | Episode: "Reform School Girl" | ||
| 1994–2004 | Friends | Joey Tribbiani | Series regular; 236 episodes |
| 2004–2006 | Joey | Series regular; 46 episodes | |
| 2011–2017 | Episodes | Matt LeBlanc | Series regular; 41 episodes |
| 2012, 2016–2018[19] | Top Gear | Himself (host) | Series regular; 21 episodes Series 23, 24, 25 and 26 |
| 2013 | Web Therapy | Nick Jericho | 3 episodes |
| Web Therapy | Web series
2 episodes | ||
| 2015 | The Prince | N/A | Television movie
Producer |
| 2016–present | Man with a Plan | Adam Burns | Series regular; 37 episodes Also executive producer |
Awards and nominations
References
- ↑ "Matt LeBlanc Is Not Afraid To Live on the Wild Side". The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. October 22, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2017 – via YouTube.
- 1 2 "Matt LeBlanc (1967– )". FilmReference.com.
- ↑ Tauber, Michelle (May 19, 2003). "Way to Go, Joey!". People.
- ↑ "Matt LeBlanc takes his Italian origins to his heart". Italo-Americano. October 16, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
- ↑ Rafanelli, Stephanie (May 17, 2014). "Matt LeBlanc: 'I have an ego, but I try to leave it at the door'". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on January 7, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ↑ Radsken, Jill (September 20, 2015). "Louis C.K. and Matt LeBlanc, way back when". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Rose, Hilary (March 20, 2018). "Matt LeBlanc: 'I was getting divorced, work wasn't a priority — it was a rough time' '". The Times. London. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
- ↑ "Bon Jovi – Say It Isn' So". YouTube. Retrieved May 22, 2011.
- 1 2 "Top Gear; Series 18, Episode 2". BBC Two. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
- ↑ "Matt LeBlanc Biography - life, family, children, parents, name, story, wife, school, mother - Newsmakers Cumulation". www.notablebiographies.com. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ↑ "Matt LeBlanc on Life after 'Friends' and Taking a Six Year Hiatus". The Hollywood Reporter. June 27, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
- ↑ Rampton, James (January 6, 2011). "Episodes: The one where Matt LeBlanc plays himself..." The Independent. London. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
- ↑ "Matt LeBlanc Spoofs Himself On Comedy 'Episodes'". Access Hollywood. January 4, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
- ↑ Parks, Tim (September 30, 2009). "LeBlanc to star as himself on 'Episodes'". Digital Spy. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
- ↑ "Nominations & Winners". Golden Globes. Archived from the original on January 8, 2010. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
- ↑ "'Episodes' Renewed for Nine Episode Season Five by Showtime". TV by the Numbers. June 10, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
- ↑ "Matt LeBlanc joins Top Gear!". Top Gear. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ↑ "Top Gear: Matt LeBlanc signs two-series deal". BBC News. September 26, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
- 1 2 "Matt LeBlanc to leave Top Gear". BBC News. 31 May 2018.
- ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (June 21, 2016). "CBS Sets Fall 2016 Premiere Dates, Slates JonBenet Ramsey Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 Wulff, Jennifer (April 17, 2006). "Matt Leblanc's Surprise Split". People. Vol. 65 no. 15. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
- ↑ Sawer, Patrick (February 6, 2016). "New Top Gear presenter Matt LeBlanc on his daughter, his marriage breakdown and his darkest years". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
- 1 2 "Matt LeBlanc's Other Woman". People. April 6, 2006. Retrieved March 27, 2009.
- ↑ Beard, Lanford (January 7, 2015). "Matt LeBlanc and Andrea Anders Break Up". People.
- ↑ "Matt LeBlanc". IMDb. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Matt LeBlanc. |
- Matt LeBlanc on IMDb
- Matt LeBlanc at Emmys.com
- Matt LeBlanc at WorldCat libraries
- Matt LeBlanc at Rotten Tomatoes
- Matt LeBlanc at Huffington Post
- Matt LeBlanc at TV Guide
- Matt LeBlanc on Twitter
