The NBC sitcom, Friends, not only chartered the road of a successful comfort show for the millennials but became the talk of the town for several other reasons. Be it the historic paychecks or the extensive list of star-studded cameo features, the series rose to a pedestal of importance like no other. Akin to its record-breaking viewership, the stars of the show were also experiencing skyrocketing fame, making a few of them even fumble midst. Matt LeBlanc, being part of the Super Six, was no stranger to the popularity either.

Yet, during the prime of that Friends fame, the fan-favorite Joey resorted to a personal hiatus, which was revealed by none other than himself years later.

Matt LeBlanc’s autonomous withdrawal from the Friends fame

Speaking to Mirror in 2016, Matt LeBlanc delved into many things from Friends, but most importantly, how in its heyday of renown, he took a break from the social and the acting world. He emphasized that for “years and years”, he barely crossed the door of his house because he was “burnt out”. Suffering from nearly a “nervous breakdown”, he expressed how at the time his wish to “not have a schedule”, in turn, made his agent “bummed”. 

Additionally, he pressed on the difference between most actors and him and the widely distinct relationship with agents because, unlike others, he urged his agent to “lose” his number “for a few years”. To avoid stepping out, the actor even reportedly cut his hair into a mohawk. What he described to be his “dark time” was actually due to a string of personal crises from his collapsed marriage and his daughter’s deteriorating health conditions that pushed him to the edge. 

While Matt LeBlanc went on an exile during the peak time of Friends fame due to personal reasons, Courteney Cox, on the other hand, was rather taken aback by the popularity.

Courteney Cox’s startling reaction to Friends fame

The massive fame that Friends hails to even today is because of its one-of-a-kind success story. But surely fame does not come without its fast-paced shifts and Courteney Cox understood this way back. In an interview with Sunday Sitdown last year, reflecting on the Las Vegas trip the director took them, she recalled his words saying, “…it will be the last time that all six of you can walk together through a casino”. 

Cox, at the time, was still unaware of the extent to which Friends would rise with fame and hence had an amusing response, “We’re not… the Beatles”. Over time, although she came to terms with the global acknowledgment, to an extent she still felt “strange”. Despite that, she also expressed that the reason is that Friends is a “relevant comedy” which makes a compelling case for its unfettering fame. While it is true that the artists found their own ways to deal with it, Matt LeBlanc, unfortunately, could not make the most of that fame. 

Did you know about Matt LeBlanc’s exile during the prime time of Friends fame? Let us know in the comments below!