Imagine waking up one day on the verge of financial collapse with a meager $11 in your bank account and then finding yourself suddenly thrust into the spotlight. Well, this is the extraordinary life story of Matt LeBlanc, the gifted actor most recognized for his enduring performance in the popular NBC sitcom FRIENDS as Joey Tribbiani.
Although the 56-year-old star of Man With a Plan has now changed both his life and the television industry, things were not always this way. LeBlanc revealed that he only had $11 in his pocket before being cast in FRIENDS when he sat down with Conan O’Brien in 2019 to talk about landing the role of Joey Tribbiani. He was in such financial distress that he had to perform his dentistry.
Matt LeBlanc’s Condition Before Securing the Role in FRIENDS
The young adult life of Matt LeBlanc seemed to emulate the character he played on screen. Before he was cast in the iconic Joey Tribbiani role, the 56-year-old American hunk of the 1990s had trouble breaking through as an actor. His first job was as a commercial actor and model in New York, where he struggled to make ends meet. Even though he had booked television, commercials, and other small roles before FRIENDS, he was reportedly down to his last eleven dollars before landing the role of Joey.
Speaking on the TBS talk show Conan, LeBlanc talked about his financial struggles prior to becoming the FRIENDS star:
“I had, I think, I was down to $11. That’s holding out too long. Because even if I said at that point, ‘All right, I’m going to go get a waiter job,’ by the time that $11 ran out, it would have been before the first paycheck on that job. I would have starved.”
So, realizing that things were getting worse and that he might starve, LeBlanc decided to give it one last shot. Notwithstanding the small amount in his bank account, he had high hopes. The father of one, who at the time was attempting to save as much money as possible, attended auditions in addition to doing his dentistry.
The Ed Actor Performed His Dental Procedure To Save Money
During his appearance on Conan, Matt LeBlanc was questioned about his difficult early years before establishing a steady acting career and becoming a household name across multiple generations. The actor discussed with host Conan O’Brien how his headshot photographer pointed out a mismatch in his teeth and advised him to think about getting his teeth straightened before taking the photos. The Lookin’ Italian actor recalled:
“[The photographer] said, ‘Before we take this, you might want to go get that tooth filed.’ I go, ‘What are you talking about?’ He goes, ‘One tooth is a little longer than the other one. You should go get that filed.’”
Consequently, he described using the phone booth to locate a dentist who would agree to file his teeth for eighty dollars. LeBlanc shared about doing something very strange, given the meager $11 he had in his pocket, as he explained how he did the work himself:
“I go to the drug store and buy a three-pack of emery boards. I’m very frugal.”
LeBlanc continued talking about the photographer’s response:
“He said, ‘They did a nice job!’”.
With the unstoppable success of FRIENDS, LeBlanc went from poverty to wealth in a matter of years. In addition to ensuring his financial security, his portrayal of Joey Tribbiani on David Crane
and Marta Kauffman’s classic series made a lasting impression on the television industry.
He also appeared in Friends: The Reunion, 2021, on HBO Max, hosted by James Corden.
FRIENDS is now available to watch on Max.
