At 57, ‘Friends’ Star Matt LeBlanc’s Drastically Different Look On Rare Outing Stirs Concerns About His Health & Lifestyle

Oct 23, 2024

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“How you doin?” is the line that most people associate with actor Matt LeBlanc. The actor was one of the main characters in the iconic TV series “Friends,” for the 10 seasons it aired. Before gaining major recognition as Joey on the show, Matt was born in Newton, Massachusetts. Born in July of 1967, Matt graduated from high school and attended Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. However, he dropped out shortly after beginning his second semester. At the young age of 17, he decided to pack his bags and head to New York City to pursue a modeling and acting career. 

In 1987, Matt got his first small break, starring in a Heinz Tomato Ketchup commercial. Soon after, in 1988, he starred in one season of “TV 101,” and eventually landed a series on Fox called “Married….with Children.” With his career on the up and up, Matt landed the role of a lifetime in 1994 when he got the role of Joey Tribbiani on “Friends.” 

He would go on to star in the iconic series for years alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer. Throughout his time on the show, he was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe nominations, and one Screen Actors Guild Nominations. 

However, the star took a break from acting in 2004 after he welcomed his daughter into the world the same year. Shortly after she was born, Matt and his then-wife, Melissa McKnight, were told that their baby had cortical dysplasia, a condition that impacts the brain, bones, and motor skills and causes seizures. At that point, the star decided to focus on his family rather than his career, at least until his daughter was a bit older. After returning to acting in 2011 and enjoying a career revival, Matt once again announced that he was stepping back to focus on his family in 2018, finishing out his then-series "Man with a Plan" in 2020.

Read on to find out more about Matt’s life after “Friends” and what folks are saying about his transformed look after years away from the spotlight.

In an interview with The Telegraph in 2014, Matt shared that 2004 was a difficult year for him. “I didn’t feel like being funny. I had a lot going on in my personal life,” he shared. Thankfully, his daughter, Marina Pearl LeBlanc, was much better within a couple of years after her diagnosis and treatment. Sadly, a former nanny sold the sick child’s story to the tabloids, which made it an even harder time for the family.

“I really had to restrain myself and think about my next move,” Matt said. “If someone messes with your infant child, that instinct is very hard to suppress. I chose wisely. Nobody got hurt,” he added. 

In an interview with The Mirror in 2016, Matt said, “It was a very dark period. But I got through it. Don’t they say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger?”

Just two years later, in 2006, the actor decided to retreat from the celebrity world altogether. 

“I knew I wasn’t missing out on anything. I had dabbled with the celebrity world. I’d partied a bit. But there wasn’t anything there that could fulfill me. I mean, I have beers in the fridge at home,” Matt said.

The actor and his daughter spent their time at his 1,200-acre ranch in Santa Barbara, where he was a full-time father. He spent his time horseback riding with his daughter, cooking for her, and watching her grow up. 

“She’s a daddy’s girl. She can wrap me around her little finger. I’m powerless,” the proud father said. Speaking with The Mirror, he shared the time he spent with his daughter was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

“Spending time with her is the best thing I’ve ever done. We have a great bond and it’s the best thing in my life,” he said. 

Matt’s deep devotion to his daughter has been evident since the day she was born.

“The second I laid eyes on her, I was in love, and I had never felt that way before. I couldn’t believe it. I knew from that moment there was nothing that would ever stop me from loving her — even if she crashed my Ferrari,” he once told The Mirror.

However, now that Matt’s daughter, Marina, is older, the star shared that they often watch “Friends” together. He told Express in 2018, “It’s still on all the time, so we’ll stop and watch it if we’re channel surfing and it pops up.” The star said that Marina thinks the show is hilarious. 

“She loves to ask me questions about it. She’ll say: ‘Was that real? Did you really eat that? What did that taste like? Ooh, you ate that off the floor? That’s gross! You’re so funny, Dad,’” he shared. 

While on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” in 2020, the dad shared, “My daughter’s 16 now and it’s the same kind of thing,” he said. “Like, ‘Where’s the rest of your shirt?’” 

The proud dad has also shared that his daughter is a very talented singer. ​​“She has a beautiful voice,” Matt shared with People in 2014. He also shared that his daughter has grown up in a very different time than he did. 

“There is so much social media now and so much more that she’s exposed to that I wasn’t exposed to,” he said. However, the star said you have to have faith in your children. “You just try and teach them right and wrong, keep an eye on them and be there with them. You can only do so much,” Matt said. 

After years away from acting, Matt was thrust back into the spotlight after the death of his former “Friends” castmate, Perry, in October 2023. Matt shared a heartfelt tribute to Perry on social media, writing:

“The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life. It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend.”

In line with his comedic persona, Matt also joked, “Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love. And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”

Matt then retreated back to home life, but in September 2024, he was spotted on a rare outing in Los Angeles. Photos showed how the natural course of aging had transformed the once hunky television star. At the age of 57, Matt no longer had the svelte and trim figure of his youth, while his hair – once a sleek black – was almost entirely gray.

“🤔🤔 what did he went through. Death of his friend might have affected him,” one user commented, as another said, “Not looking good for being 57yr old. Needs to change his diet.”

Others called him “Matt LeBlob,” attributing his look to “a very unhealthy lifestyle” while urging him to “go to the gym.”

However, the negative criticisms were wholly outnumbered by the number of positive comments.

“Growing old with dignity, a REAL man! No fakeness, he looks fabulous and much better than the plastics!” one user exclaimed while another wrote, “Uh, he looks like a man his age who like most us, hasn’t been lifted, tucked, & injected with so much Botox he can’t move his face. I like that he can be himself.”

“He looks EXACTLY as he always has but with a few more pounds & gray. He looks great!!,” another fan said.

What can you say about what Matt LeBlanc looks like at 57? Was he your favorite “Friends” character? Let us know, and then pass this along to your own beloved friends and family, too!