Matt LeBlanc was born July 25, 1967 in Newton Massachusetts. His parents, Patricia Grossman and Paul LeBlanc separated when Matt was just an infant. His father moved to Florida leaving his mother to raise Matt as a single mother. Acting was not Matt's passion growing up. When he was eight-years-old, he got his first motorcycle. He shortly participated in many amateur cycling competitons. But Matt gave up his passion for racing because his mother was worried about his safety and Matt has always been a self-professed "mama's boy".
Though Pat worked at Newton Engineering, the family still struggled financially and Matt learned the value of a dollar early in life. After giving up racing, Matt began to train as a carpenter because of its practicality. Matt thought he would always have a job if he studied the craft because carpenters are always needed. At graduation he won the "Golden Hammer" award for best carpentry student.
In 1985 Matt graduated Newton North High School and then with $3,000 from selling is truck he moved to New York City. Matt was working as a carpenter and only got into acting by chance. One day he met a girl who he wanted to date but she had to see her agent. Matt went along and the agent told him that he would do well in commercials. He immediately did a commercial but still struggled and lived in a transient hotel for a couple of years. At one point Matt was so desperate that he borrowed $500 from his mother. But then Matt got regular work in commerical and by 1987 Matt was in national ads for companies like Levis 501 jeans, Coca-Cola, and Doritos. His appearance in a Heinz catsup commercial won him a Golden Lion Award at the 1987 Cannes film Festival.
In 1988 Matt moved to LA and began his formal training. Within a year he landed a role in the CBS TV show, "TV 101" but this show ended after only one season. Matt made two appearances on "Married ... with Children" in 1991 which led to a spin off show called, "Top of the Heap" which was shortly redeveloped and renamed "Vinnie & Bobbi". However, this show was also cancelled.
In 1994 Matt got his big break when he auditioned for the role of Joey Tribbiani on the NBC sitcom "Friends". Matt only had $16 in his pocket when he auditioned for the part and was selling furniture. Though he was able to stretch the money that he earned from his previous TV shows, Matt needed to land some steady work. And although he was the least likely out of all the cast members to be cast on the show, Matt finally got the part after four auditions.
Just before "Friends" debuted, Matt reconciled with his estranged father. After Paul divorced Matt's mom, he didn't see his son until he was eight-years-old and then lost contact with Matt again when his mother remarried. The father and son exchanged phone calls and Paul LeBlanc drove his RV from Florida to Hollywood to surprise Matt for his birthday. Matt and his father were reunited and became good friends.
During the time that "Friends" was becoming a huge success, Matt ventured into parts in movies. In 1996 he co-starred with a chimp in "Ed" which was not a box office success. And then in 1998 Matt played Major Don West in "Lost In Space" which based on the '60s TV series and which achieved some moderate financial success. However, as "Friends" continued to be a TV ratings success, Matt landed a part in the blockbuster "Charlie's Angels" and its sequel, "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle".
In 2002 after a five-year engagement Matt married Melissa Mc Knight,a former model, in a romantic sunset ceremony on the beautiful island of Kauai in Hawaii. About 80 guests, including castmates, Lisa Kudrow,Courtney Cox, and Jennifer Aniston witnessed the beautiful flower bedecked nuptials. Melissa has a boy named Tyler and a girl named Jackie from her first marriage to Anthony Esposito. The couple gave birth to a baby girl, Marina in February, 2003. Matt lives in LA and owns a dog named Lady who he bought at the pound for $40. His hobbies include parachute jumping, car racing, mountain biking, and landscape photographing. Matt is currently working on his sitcom "Joey" which is a spinoff of his character from "Friends" and will premiere in the fall of 2004.
