Matt LeBlanc Deserves The Credit For Keeping The ‘Friends’ Flame Alive

Actors that have appeared on the ’90s sitcom Friends, in roles big and small, will always be known as and asked about those characters, probably until the end of time. Really, just imagine how many times a day Maggie Wheeler has “Oh…my…god!” shouted at her. The show is perhaps the biggest to ever grace our televisions, and it only continues to remain Must See TV, even when it’s watched on computers and tablets and phones. But of our six main stars, Matt LeBlanc is clearly the one to embrace his (extended) time as Joey the most, thus making him the most loyal to the Friends franchise.

In fact, it’s really only because of him that Friends is a franchise at all — and it is. LeBlanc was the one that continued his character in Joey, having the foresight to understand Joey Tribbiani mattered to viewers. Unfortunately, not quite enough for them to actually tune in and keep the ratings up, but that didn’t keep him down. LeBlanc still refused to turn his back on the show that made him rich, famous, and beloved and signed up for five seasons of Showtime’s Episodes. It’s a silly extension of Friends as LeBlanc plays an exaggerated version of himself in the show, created by former Friends creator David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik. There are Friends jokes, references and cameos that make it required viewing for any fan of the original sitcom.

Let me just address the haters real quick and say sure, LeBlanc’s film career didn’t take off the way his pal Jennifer Aniston’s did, and he wasn’t taking sporadic projects the way David Schwimmer was, but while Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow explored new TV projects (some more than others), LeBlanc proved that he knew where his bread was buttered. Why not milk a good thing for all it’s worth, and make people happy in the process? In fact, it’s his role in Episodes, as Matt LeBlanc, that probably afforded him the most range and the most distance from Joey, ironically, while he was playing the guy that played Joey.

The Friends actors, even (and maybe especially) James Michael Tyler, the man behind Gunther, will be hounded with queries about reunions and fun facts and favorite memories for generations to come, as new fans of the show are born and hooked just the way the rest of us have been. That LeBlanc willingly put himself in that line of fire and dedicated his profession to discussing the icon and sandwich-loving actor he portrayed for 10 years, is a way of honoring the fans of this show and what it means to them and pop culture as a whole. In the same way Paul McCartney is still jamming out those Beatles hits at his live shows these days, LeBlanc is still unearthing Friends memories in interviews, avoiding the likely urge to roll his eyes or express boredom when asked about his work from 20 years ago — the sign of a true, dedicated actor.

Even though we’re mostly watching Friends episodes over and over again, LeBlanc involved himself in projects that continued the Friends legacy in a way that both celebrated and made fun of the fact that this show became as big as it is. It was a smart and endlessly entertaining way to approach his career that will give fans a lot to talk about…you know, after they’ve gotten the ever-important “How you doin’?” out of the way.

Where to watch Friends