Matt LeBlanc: his highs, lows, and scandals

He's everyone's favorite 'friend.' At age 55, Matt LeBlanc achieved the kind of success that many actors only dream about. For many years he starred in the iconic role of the ever-so-quotable Joey Tribbiani in 'Friends.'

Matt also starred in the leading roles of a couple of spin-offs. He even headlined two shows, one of which he played a caricatured version of himself. Big paychecks, Golden Globe, and Emmy Award nominations abounded also.

One could say that Matt LeBlanc is a picture of success. However, Matt's life has been filled with highs and lows, both personally and professionally, and not without scandals. Click further to read the truth about Matt LeBlanc.

Matt LeBlanc moved to New York City when he was a teen looking for his big break. At first, he tried out modeling but soon realized he wasn't tall enough for the industry.

So, LeBlanc turned to acting to find fame and fortune. He landed a few roles for tv commercials that paid the bills. Matt was in ads for Heinz Ketchup and Coca-Cola at the end of the 80s and early 90s.

LeBlanc also snagged roles in music videos when he was first starting out. He was in Jon Bon Jovi's video for 'Miracle' and played Alanis Morissette's love interest in 'Walk Away.'

Matt also landed a guest spot on the hit series 'Married... with Children,' playing Vinnie Verducci, Kelly's new boyfriend. Thanks to this role, he ended up starring in two spin-offs: 'Top of the Heap' and 'Vinnie & Bobby.'

Image: 'Married... with Children,' Fox

In an interview with 'The Independent, ' LeBlanc said, "Friends when it came my way, was my fourth TV series — and the other three had failed. I had exactly $11 in my pocket the day I was hired."

The actor also told the newspaper that he was doing so badly financially that his mother tried to convince him to give up on his dreams. "I was living in a cheap hotel which was dank and nasty. Junkies and hookers were all over the place when she came to visit for the weekend. I remember the look on her face, and she said, 'Oh, please come home. Give this up. You won't make it.'"

Matt LeBlanc's first scandal occurred before he made it big on 'Friends.' When he was a young struggling actor, LeBlanc was arrested two times for driving while under the influence. Perhaps that explains some of his money troubles - maybe he was partying too much and paying hefty fines for his DUIs.

In an interview with 'The Daily Telegraph', LeBlanc said, "(I was caught) twice, I think. When I was young and stupid. I wasn’t driving fast, just crooked. The press never got hold of the mugshots. I was lucky."

In any case, landing the role of Joey on 'Friends' totally changed the actor's life. Money problems became a thing of the past as he shot into international star status. Each cast member started out making $22,500 per episode in 1994, and it only increased with each passing year. By seasons 9 & 10, the actor was making a million dollars PER EPISODE!

While 'Friends' undoubtedly meant the glory years for LeBlanc, being known as Joey Tribbiani did have some drawbacks.

Joey was known for not being very intelligent, outgoing, and a happy-go-lucky guy. It was frustrating at times dealing with fans' disappointment when they discovered Matt LeBlanc wasn't ACTUALLY just like Joey in real life.

LeBlanc spoke to the 'The Guardian' about the plight of being Joey.
"People will speak slowly to me sometimes. And they always ask me if I'm all right, because I'm much more low-key and reserved than my character in Friends. They think that I'm depressed, or I'm sad, or upset – but I'm just not amped up to go out in front of an audience and do a TV show. That's not who I am."

However, there is one aspect of life in which Matt does resemble Joey: his love life. The actor married former model Melissa McKnight in 2003, with whom he had a daughter in 2004. However, as 'Friends' was coming to an end, so was his marriage.

People magazine wrote that LeBlanc "blindsided" his wife, Melissa McKnight, when he decided to move out. Melissa accused Matt of cheating on her, an incident he later apologized for, according to The Mirror. A source close to the actor told People magazine that Matt realized "he just wasn't meant to be married."

Soon after his separation, LeBlanc began to go out with Andrea Anders, who also played his love interest in his spin-off series 'Joey.' The relationship ended after a few years, and rumors of infidelity were rampant.

Although Matt denied the allegations, there were more accusations of cheating during his 'Friends' years. Paul LeBlanc, Matt's estranged father, claimed that Matt and Jennifer Aniston used to "make out in the dressing rooms" while she was still married to Brad Pitt.

When 'Friends' ended in 2004, the future looked very bright for Matt LeBlanc. He had his own spin-off, 'Joey.' However, the sitcom didn't meet fans' expectations and it was soon canceled.

Image: 'Joey' publicity material, NBC

In an interview with the 'Daily Telegraph,' LeBlanc said, "The show had an unfair amount of pressure on it. It was meant to fill the shoes of Friends. But when you have six pairs of feet, and you take away five, it's harder to walk."

In his interview with the 'Telegraph,' LeBlanc admitted that life after friends was not easy for him mentally. The actor stated that he spent around five years struggling and used alcohol as a release.

He even admitted to some very reckless behavior, saying to the newspaper: "I got arrested for drinking & driving on the way to Disneyland with my kids in the car."

The image is from when Matt got arrested for a DUI in the series 'Episodes,' from Showtime via YouTube.

Starting in 2011, life began to improve for LeBlanc. He starred in 'Episodes' as a fictionalized version of himself. The series was well-received, and Matt even won a Golden Globe for best actor in 2012.

More opportunities presented themselves, and LeBlanc guest-starred and then became a host on 'Top Gear' in 2016. However, despite enjoying the show, Matt felt the time commitment and travel were too great, so he resigned from the program in 2018.

From 2016 to 2020, Matt was the lead character in 'Man with a Plan' until the show was canceled. He didn't have much downtime though, because soon afterward he was filming 'Friends: The Reunion' in April of 2021.

Everyone's favorite friend certainly has quite a few skeletons in the closet and has faced some dark times. However, it seems Matt LeBlanc is currently in a much better place than some years ago.

In the fall of 2022, the actor told ET that he wanted to take a break from filming. He said: "I'm taking some time off right now. I'm just enjoying not having to do anything — it's been kinda nice." When asked about the time of his return, he said: "Sorry, I'll let you know when I do."

We look forward to seeing what Matt's next project is. However, if he decides to retire, we will also understand. He has had quite an eventful career after all!