Before moving to New York at 17 to try to become a model, LeBlanc, who grew up an only child, worked as a carpenter in Massachusetts. When he auditioned for Friends he only had $11. In the end, he was earning $1 million per episode.
After achieving international fame and fortune with friends, LeBlanc retreated from the spotlight after his spin-off show Joey was canceled in 2006. “I barely left the house,” he said. I wanted to not have a schedule, to not be somewhere. “I was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown.”
He was coaxed out of his hiatus by Friends co-creator David Crane to play an exaggerated version of himself in episodes of the sitcom. A huge car enthusiast, he hosted Top Gear in both the UK and the US, but announced in 2022 that he was “taking a break”, in the words of immortal friends. “I’m going to take some time off now,” he said. “I just enjoy not having to do anything, it’s been kind of nice.”
Of course, LeBlanc, who is worth $85 million, will never need to work again. But without a project to focus on, friends are said to worry he may be consumed by grief. “All of the Friends cast members have faced challenges beyond their distinct roles because the success of the show has set incredibly high standards — how do you break away from that label and find projects that are equally defining?” Tris says. “Who really knows when Matt will feel ready to explore new roles, or if he will do so at all. But for now I think the most important thing is to give him the time and space to decide what comes next on his own terms.”
This isn’t the first time LeBlanc has raised concerns. In 2012 he told an interviewer: “People will always ask me if I’m OK, because I’m a lot more quiet and reserved than my character on Friends. They think I’m depressed, sad or upset – but I’m not ready to go out in front of an audience and do a TV show. That’s not who I am.” ”
Perry’s tragic death has been pulled into the spotlight in recent weeks, with those around him accused of supplying him with the ketamine that killed him. In October, one of Perry’s doctors, Mark Chavez, 54, became the third person to plead guilty (conspiracy to distribute ketamine) following the Friends star’s fatal overdose last year. Judgment will be pronounced in 2025.
