gave a major boost to the careers of its main cast, but the success of didn’t guarantee more in the main cast’s subsequent projects, and in Matt LeBlanc’s case, his best post- role was actually playing himself. The 1990s saw the rise of various successful TV shows, and from the branch of sitcoms, stands out as one of the best, and even after almost two decades after its final episode, it continues to be regarded as one of the greatest TV shows of all time. Although its main cast were not newcomers when they joined , the series gave them the push they needed and turned them into some of the biggest stars of the decade, which made life after a bit complicated.
Set in New York City, followed Monica, Chandler, Joey, Phoebe, Rachel, and Ross as they dealt with the complications of adulthood while doing their best to juggle their social, personal, and professional lives. The different personalities in the group allowed the audience to connect with them, and while each of them had a loyal following, only a few have maintained their popularity with the audience. Such is the case of Joey, with Matt LeBlanc best remembered for playing this lovable character, though that also made his post- career a bit hard, and funny enough, has been playing himself.
While his co-stars said goodbye to their respective characters when the series ended, Matt LeBlanc stayed with Joey for two more years thanks to the spinoff TV series . The series followed Joey as he moved to Hollywood in hopes of finally making it big as an actor, and there he reunited with his sister Gina. Although , the series wasn’t well-received by critics and viewers and was canceled after two seasons due to low ratings. After , LeBlanc served as executive producer in the Western superhero movie , released in 2010, and the following year he was cast in the TV series as a fictionalized version of himself. followed married couple Sean (Stephen Mangan) and Beverly Lincoln (Tamsin Greig) who after winning another BAFTA Award for the British sitcom are convinced to move to Hollywood to remake their series for an American audience.
Unfortunately, the network starts making a lot of changes to the series and the Lincolns are pressured into casting Matt LeBlanc in the lead role, even though he’s not suited for it. This version of LeBlanc was far from what he did in , as he played an arrogant version of himself with a short attention span and a need for immediate gratification, yet he was still able to show his impeccable comedic skills. While this hasn’t been LeBlanc’s only post- role, it’s definitely his best one as he made fun of himself and the industry, and was able to show a different side of himself and his acting skills, giving him the push he needed after and .
While Joey Tribbiani is one of the most beloved characters from , his popularity didn’t guarantee the success of his spinoff series. It was clear from the beginning that the audience had no interest in seeing Joey outside New York City and without his closest friends around, and ended up being a big failure. Luckily, was received a lot better by critics and audiences, who constantly praised LeBlanc’s performance, reviving his career after ’s failure. After came to an end, LeBlanc hosted for four seasons and starred in the sitcom , and while he has slowed down in recent years, viewers are still welcoming him with open arms.
