Friends Cast: Where Are They Now?

Matt LeBlanc has a famous strike it rich story through Friends. He gave up carpentry to move to New York and pursue a career in acting, despite having no experience in the craft. When he was cast in the hit sitcom, he didn’t even have enough in his bank account that month to make rent.

These days, that’s not an issue for LeBlanc. He famously joked on Conan that his mother used to always say ‘what do you want to be an actor for’, but that these days she just says ‘thanks for the Mercedes’.

Friends set him up for life, but his career immediately after the sitcom was a little bumpy. Friends spin off Joey was missing the magic of the original, being critically panned and losing viewers almost immediately. LeBlanc’s career could have fizzled then and there, but he’s carried on undeterred.

Greater success followed in Episodes, where he plays a fictionalised version of himself, clearly prepared to be the butt of the joke. Following that, the massive gear head became the host of Top Gear, having been a popular guest during the Clarkson, Hammond & May heyday.