birthdays: Matt LeBlanc

Matt LeBlanc

(49th anniversary)

25 July 1967

Newton, Massachusetts, USA

5' 10" (1.78 m)

He spent some time as a photo model in Florida before moving to New York where he took drama classes. After a few small roles on stage and on TV, he became famous for his role as Joey in Friends (1994).

Matt LeBlanc was born on 25 July 1967 in Newton, Massachussetts. His mother, Patricia, is of Italian origin, and worked as an office manager, and his father, Paul LeBlanc, who was from a French-Canadian family, was a mechanic. After graduating from high school and in a less successful spin-off, Joey (2004), which only aired for two seasons. Afther the show got canceled he took a break and didn't return until 2011 where he stars as a fictional version of himself on Episodes (2011).

From 2003 to 2006, he was married to Missy McKnight, with whom he had one child, Marina Pearl (born 2004). He has been in a relationship with actress Andrea Anders since 2005. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Spouse

Missy McKnight (3 May 2003 - 6 October 2006) (divorced) (1 child)

Trivia

2000: Named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine.

November 1998: Engaged to Missy McKnight.

Also works as a model. Is a trained carpenter. Interested in parachute jumping, car racing and landscape photography.

1985: Graduated from Newton North High School, Newton, Massachusetts.

Born at 4:18am-EDT

He is of French-Canadian (father) and Italian (mother) descent.

Became a father for the 1st time at age 36 when his wife Missy McKnight gave birth to their daughter Marina Pearl LeBlanc on February 8, 2004.

At one time he was known as the king of the commercials. As well as a 1987 Heinz ketchup commercial that won top prize at Cannes, he appeared in slots for Levi's 501 jeans, Doritos and Coca-Cola. One of his commercials can be seen on a TV screen in Conexión Tequila (1988).

Has a half brother named Justin who lives in Australia.

Is a motorcycle enthusiast and hosted his own TV show, The 5 Coolest Things (2003), based on the 5 coolest things in each motorcycle specialty (off-road, motocross, road racing, freestyle).

Former stepfather to Tyler and Jacquelyne from his ex-wife's first marriage.

Is the only cast member of Friends (1994) not to have appeared on Saturday Night Live(1975).

Daughter, Marina LeBlanc, was diagnosed with a rare brain disorder that affects her motor skills. Matt and Melissa were concerned when their 11 month old started having seizures. At age two, Marina's condition had largely improved.

Attended the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston for just over a semester, leaving during the second semester of his freshman year.

Early modeling jobs included posing for cover of a gay travel guide, Damron Travel Guide For Men.

4/1/06: Filed for divorce from Missy McKnight.

Has three dogs: Lady,Shadow and Jay.

His role of "Maj. Don West" in Perdidos en el espacio (1998) was originally offered to his Friends (1994) co-star Matthew Perry.

In a relationship with former Joey (2004) co-star Andrea Anders.

In November 2006 (right after his divorce) he paid $7.4 million for a four-bedroom, 3930-square-foot house in Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades area.

Sold his six-bedroom, 11,158-square-foot mansion in Hidden Hills, California for $9,139,000. He purchased it in late 2005 for exactly $9 million.

Lives in Pacific Palisades and Los Alamos, California.

Fluent in French.

Matt and his Friends (1994) co-star Matthew Perry both guest starred in the short-lived sitcom Somos diez (1988), although not in the same episodes.

Scored the fastest lap on Top Gear for the Star In A Reasonably Priced Car driving the Kia Cee'd at 1:42.1 beating Rowan Atkinson (1:42.2) and Michael Fassbender (1:42.8 [on ice]).

In Los Angeles recording Joey (2004). [September 2004]

Personal Quotes

I really like the half-hour comedy. I really do. I know people that are in movies all the time and they, you know, they don't see their families as much. And that takes its toll over time. And I don't want to be one of those families. I want to sleep in my own bed every night. I want to, you know, help the kids with homework. And I like that. That's fun.

(On his film, Ed) I know, I know. Everyone told me, 'Don't do the monkey movie, don't do it.'

(1996) The most amazing thing about getting famous is this: When I was broke and couldn't afford anything, nobody gave a shit. Now that I have some money, Ray Ban sends me dozens of pairs of glasses. They even put my prescription in. Isn't that the craziest thing?

(1996, on getting into acting) One weekend I went down to New York City and I met this really cute girl and she said, 'I have an audition, want to go with me?' And I went with her, and her manager had me read some commercials and signed me. So I moved to New York and got a commercial right away. I thought, hey, this shit's easy, I'm gonna be huge! Of course, that didn't happen, and I lived in a transient hotel for a couple of years.

(1996, on his family) We're blue collar from Newton, Mass. My mom's from Italy, and my father wasn't around. I knew he had gone to Vietnam, but I didn't know if he was dead or MIA, and I knew it would make my mom sad to talk about it, so I never asked. On Christmas morning, the year I was eight, I come running downstairs, and on the couch is this guy wearing Army fatigues with long hair. He looked like Jesus Christ. I see his name on his shirt, LeBlanc. All I could think was, he's alive, he's come back, he's going to live with us, and I'm going to have a dad! So of course I ran to him. flung myself on him.. .and if there's one moment in my life I could replay, that would be it. Because what I really should have said was. 'Hey, man, where the fuck have you been?' He never came to live with us. My mother remarried a few years later.

[on his new series 'Episodes'] I think I got my due on 'Friends'. That was the greatest ten years of my life. It was critically successful, financially successful, I slept in my own bed every night, we didn't have to travel. But this is fun, too. Different gig.

I was practicing lines with an actor friend of mine, and he said, 'This show ['Friends'] is all about a group of friends, so we should go out tonight and get drunk, as if we were friends. We should just keep that in mind'. So we went out, and I fell down and skinned my nose really badly, I went to the audition with a huge scab on my face.

I got a callback and had a studio test. It was between me and this guy - his name was Yeager, I think. He was dressed in a denim jacket, jeans, cowboy boots. I think he had a cowboy hat with him, but he didn't have it on. I looked at him and thought, One of us is way off the mark. I hope it's you.

[performing on 'Friends'] In between all the jokes, there was this emotional thread. You cared about these people. You were invested in these relationships. You can't get enough of these people. Why? No one could describe their passion for it. Everyone worked really hard. Lisa Kudrow said it best. She said that she worked harder on these relationships than she did on her marriage.

[as 'Friends' ended] I had quit smoking for four years, and in that final two weeks I started again because we were so aware that our time together was coming to an end. We would steal away these little moments. 'Hey, let's go hang out. Let's go sit in my room'. It was really... a lot of Kleenex.

[on discovering he was famous and recognizable] I was like, 'I've got to get a house. I need a house with a gate, because I need to be able to hide'. It's funny - nowadays people that are famous get chased by paparazzi. They have this fame, but they don't have the money to hide from it.