How much is Matt Leblanc worth?
| Net Worth: | $80 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional actor |
| Date of Birth: | 25 July 1967 |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.77 m) |
About Matt Leblanc
If you recognize the name of Joey Tribbiani, it’s a given that you know Matt Leblanc. Tribbiani was the character played by Leblanc on the massive hit comedy series “Friends”, which enjoyed a ten year run on NBC between 1994 and 2004. The success of the show and it’s impact on American television made every main cast member a superstar, receiving an astonishing sixty two Primetime Emmy Award nominations! If you don’t happen to recognize the Tribbiani or Leblanc names, you’re in luck, as “Friends” is still broadcast in syndication to this day, nearly twenty years after the series finale was aired.
To trace Leblanc’s ascendence to wealth and fame, we don’t need to go back all that far beyond his successful audition for “Friends.” Matt was born in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1967. He graduated from Newton North High School, interestingly the same year as classmate and star comedian Louis C.K. Upon graduation, Leblanc attended Boston’s Wentworth Institute of Technology, but lasted just one semester. Still 17 years old, Matt packed his bags and set his sights on New York City to pursue a modeling career.
Once he made it to the “Big Apple”. Leblanc was told in no uncertain terms that although he had the looks, his 5 foot 9 inch frame was too short to find success as a model. It was at this point that Matt shifted gears into the world of acting. While he was able to find bit parts- in commercials, music videos and tv appearances- it would not be until Leblanc was 24 that his sphere of exposure widened. In 1991, he was cast in what would be a recurring role on the Fox comedy sitcom “Married…with Children.” In the span of four episodes, Leblanc played a character that dated daughter Kelly Bundy, better known as Christina Applegate.
By 1991, in addition to “Married…with Children”, Leblanc also had credits including a Heinz Ketchup advert, as well as appearing in music videos by the likes of Tom Petty, Bon Jovi and Alanis Morrisette. But it’s safe to say no casting director was beating down his door to offer him work. Leblanc had hustled for years, and was learning the hard way how grueling the acting business could be. Legend has it that on the day he landed the gig on “Friends”, he had all of $11 dollars to his name.
At the time Matt was cast in “Friends”, television was experiencing a transition, as Generation X- those born roughly between the late 1960s to early 1980s- were coming into adulthood. The safer comedy of television was becoming unhip, and shows like the aforementioned “Married…with Children, were ushering in a newer and more modern irreverence compared to traditional television to that point. Other shows such as “21 Jump Street” and “Beverly Hills 90210” were reflecting in both comedy and drama the angst and frustration of the youngest adult demographic. These young adults wanted sharper and more biting content that was more indicative of the world they had come to know.
Just on the heels of another modern sitcom, “Seinfeld”, came a new show exclusively geared toward “twenty-somethings.” The show was-you guessed it-“Friends”, and it turned into Leblanc’s big break. The cast featured all up and coming comedic actors- Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, Leblanc, Courtney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow. The plot was centered around the trials and tribulations of six friends on a variety of topics including the typical oddball roommate conflicts as well as love interests and lost love, etc. It was patterned very similar to “Seinfeld” in that no matter how miniscule and innocuous the topic, the storyline would end up hilarious.
The show was a smashing success, and as each season passed, the ratings soared and the paychecks increased beyond anyone’s expectations. What began as a standard $22,000 pay per episode for each cast member would jump significantly as the series progressed. For example, season 3 yielded $75,000 per installment, and by season 7 the salary jumped to a whopping $750, 000, only to be outdone in the final two seasons, which saw an increase to $1 million per episode for each actor.!
For a good ten years, Matt scrapped and pounded the pavement to find work in the industry. His looks had gotten him a foot in the door, and once he was placed in a vehicle that could showcase his comedic talent, he was more than handsomely rewarded. His character, Tribbiani, played the attractive “dumb” guy, and although he would lament in later years that he felt his character was the least rounded and developed, he fit the bill in his acting and timely, out of left field musings and retorts.
Leblanc is a likable guy that played a likable role, even if he was the butt of the joke, which was often! He never forgot the work he put in to reach such a height, and never took for granted the astronomical success of the show. Each cast member would go on to become highly sought after stars in their own right. Leblanc even starred in a spin off show, aptly titled “Joey.” Although not as renowned, the show lasted two seasons and 46 episodes.
Summing-Up
Leblanc worked his craft to the point where he was offered the opportunity of a lifetime, and he relished every minute of the ten year ride. In 2023, his estimated net worth is $85 million! Syndication for the show since 2004 has grossed nearly $1 billion, and Matt continues working in both film and television. Having won a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award and two People’s Choice Awards, Leblanc is both highly revered and accomplished by the standards of the industry, his counterparts and fans everywhere. But what is perhaps his greatest achievement is his endearment to the hearts of viewers and fans all over the world. Almost twenty tears after “Friends”, one needs only to pick up the remote control and browse the guide function. Chances are you will find Matt and his cohorts should you need a good laugh and a smile for the day!
