Why Matt LeBlanc Is Ok With Forever Being Known As Joey On ‘Friends’

Matt LeBlanc has had a number of roles over the last decade, but the actor isn’t ashamed to admit that he will forever be known as “Joey from Friends.”

Currently starring as himself…well an over-the-top version of himself…in the third season of Showtime’s Episodes, the 46-year-old says he is OK with always been known for the role that catapulted him to stardom.

“I’ll always be known for Friends – so will Matthew [Perry], David [Schwimmer], Courtney – it’s OK with me,” shared the Massachusetts native.

“I can only speak for myself, but I’m very proud of it. I wouldn’t do anything differently.”

Even 10 years after the show’s finale, the 46-year-old said he doesn’t feel pigeonholed by the famous character.

“I can think of a lot worse problems to have than being stuck with people’s perceptions of Joey.

“If people think that’s who I am, then I’ve done my job.”

LeBlanc (center) with Matthew Perry & David Schwimmer on “Friends”

The star recently sat down with Boston Common magazine to talk about his 10 seasons on the award-winning comedy. “Joey was a peripheral character in the beginning. He was this guy who lived across the hall and hit on the girls all the time.”

But LeBlanc saw so much more behind Joey’s signature “How you doing?” pick-up line. “Fortunately, I had the foresight to think, ‘This is a special thing that’s starting to gel, like a lighting-in-a-bottle thing, and I want to make sure I stick around.’”

The actor remembered how weird it was to walk into a room full of strangers during the show’s peak.

“They know you, or they think they do – they know your name, they know what you do for a living, they know how much money you make, they know where you’re from, but they’re all strangers to you,” mused the star.