In the world of Friends, Joey Tribbiani, the lovable goofball portrayed by Matt LeBlanc, reigned supreme. More so, he gave even the iconic Rachel a run for her money. Behind Joey’s unabashedly flirtatious escapades was the heart of a true-blue friend. He was the kind of mate who had got Chandler’s back. His support for Rachel made him the go-to guy for fun and laughs.

Now, as the sitcom journeyed through seasons, Joey, and by extension, LeBlanc, stole the limelight. The question on everyone’s mind – did the real-life LeBlanc mirror Joey’s easy charm and wit, or was he an entirely different ballgame once the cameras stopped rolling?

Was Matt LeBlanc like Joey off Friends as well?

In Friends, Joey was a sweetheart but never dumb. Among the main characters who formed a tight-knit bond, Joey stood out as one of the genuinely caring ones. His charm, humor, and good looks made him a hit with the ladies. That said, his flirting style could be cheesy, and his choices in that department were not always spot-on. However, the real-life LeBlanc could not be more different from the exuberant Joey. He unraveled the misconceptions that surround him. In an interview with The Guardian in 2012, Blanc stated, “I’m much more low-key and reserved than my character in Friends.”

This was when he revealed instances where people, misled by his reserved demeanor, spoke slowly, assuming he embodied the perpetually energetic Joey. The irony surfaced as they inquired about his well-being, mistaking his calm disposition for a hint of melancholy. In this revelation, LeBlanc dismantled the assumption that he is a constant ball of energy, showcasing there is more depth to him beyond the familiar sitcom facade.

Despite making $130,000 from Friends and eventually landing his own spin-off series, LeBlanc essentially retired from acting. But what led to this decision?

The unconventional exit from acting after Joey

For an entire decade, LeBlanc dazzled audiences as the beloved Joey Tribbiani. He raked in one of the fattest TV paychecks in history. However, this prolonged stint in the shoes of Joey led to LeBlanc feeling as crisp as a burnt-out candle. When his spinoff series, Joey, went down like a lead balloon, he decided it was time to escape the limelight, plunging into a time where he barely left the house. His agent might as well have lost his number, for LeBlanc was seeking refuge from schedules and spotlight-induced chaos.

This dark period was not merely professional; LeBlanc’s personal life was a stormy sea. His marriage was on the rocks, and on the home front, challenges intensified with his daughter Marina LeBlanc’s diagnosis. The big, bright Hollywood lights that once shone on Joey Tribbiani had dimmed, leading LeBlanc to seek sanctuary in solitude. Yet, in this abyss, he staged a comeback, portraying a heightened version of himself in Episodes.

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