Matt LeBlanc's Biography
Early Life
Matt LeBlanc was born in Newton, Massachusetts, on 25 July 1967, the son of Patricia, an office worker, and Paul, a mechanic.His father left home when Matt was young and LeBlanc once said in an interview that his mother had married twice and his father "eight, nine, 10 times".
After attending Newton North High School, Matt LeBlanc moved to New York where he pursued modelling and acting work.
Initially he gained parts in ads and music videos, and then roles on, for example, TV 101, Top of the Heap, and Married with Children.
Friends
However, it was in 1994 that his big breakthrough came when he was cast as Joey Tribbiani in Friends.LeBlanc was in terrible financial straits when he got the part.
By the time he left Friends things would be different! The sitcom proved a roaring success and LeBlanc and the rest of the casting were each being paid $1 million per episode.
Joey and Episodes
The spin-off show, Joey, proved much less successful and ran for only two seasons.Since then Matt LeBlanc has been cast in various parts in movies and TV, but his most notable role was as himself in the TV comedy series Episodes, for which he won a Golden Globe.
Personal Life
He was married to Melissa McKnight from 2003 to 2006 and they had a daughter, Marina, born in 2004, who was diagnosed with a form of dysplasia.However, the condition went after about a year.
After his marriage broke up, LeBlanc had an on-off relationship with his Joey co-star Andrea Anders.
Matt LeBlanc has a 1,200-acre ranch in Santa Barbara where he rears cattle for rodeos.
Top Gear
In 2016, the BBC announced that Matt LeBlanc was to co-host Top Gear with Chris Evans.
He had been on the show as a guest in the past and recorded a fast time in the Star In a Reasonably Priced Car segment of the programme.
Soon after the announcement about Leblanc's role in Top Gear it was revealed that he was also to star in and executive produce a CBS pilot of a sitcom I’m Not Your Friend.
The Guardian commented: "If I’m Not Your Friend goes to a full series and the new Top Gear is a success, LeBlanc’s schedule is likely to become more packed than the M25 at rush hour."
He was also playing himself in the BBC comedy Episodes.
In June 2018, it was revealed that Matt LeBlanc would be leaving Top Gear after the next series.
Trivia
Matt LeBlanc's height is 5ft 11in.
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