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How did Matt LeBlanc land Joey Tribbiani role? 'Friends' star shares drunken story that ended in toilet

Matt LeBlanc and his friend went out drinking the night before his final audition for Joey Tribbiani's role in 'Friends'

BY PRARTHNA SARKAR

UPDATED MAY 27, 2021

Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani in 'Friends' (Netflix)

Could we be more excited? The iconic six-member cast of the hit '90s sitcom 'Friends' reunited to film a special episode that brought back memories of another era. Ever since HBO Max announced it would streaming the one-time mega event, fans of the show couldn't hold back their joy. And honestly, it was worth the hype.

Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, and Courteney Cox were joined by supporting stars Tom Selleck, Maggie Wheeler, and Reese Witherspoon among others. Whereas the guest list featured David Beckham, Justin Bieber, BTS, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Elliott Gould, Kit Harington, Larry Hankin, and Mindy Kaling.

'Friends: The Reunion': How much will main cast get paid? Getting the pals back together hasn't been cheap

While the pop-up appearances had social media users excited what really had them glued to their TV screens was rare information that was shared by the main cast. LeBlanc revealed how he had gone out with a friend when he asked what 'Friends' was all about. Upon learning that it was about a group of friends, the 'Man with a Plan' star's friend suggested they should go drinking in order for him to prep for the role.

Cast members of NBC's comedy series "Friends." Pictured (l to r): David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Cook, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani and Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay. Episode: "The One Where They All Turn Thirty." (Getty Images)

On the surface, the idea seems normal but LeBlanc woke up in the middle of the night with a chunk of meat gone off his nose after he had landed his face on the side of the toilet. He had blacked out and was hungover from a drunken night. This was the night before his big audition for the sitcom.

LeBlanc didn't hide the story from the makers the next day and nailed his audition, which landed him the role of Joseph 'Joey' Tribbiani, the ever-so-charming actor from Queens, New York. Even though he hadn't done much work before bagging the part, the sincerity and earnestness he added to his character can hardly be matched. He played it so well that most of his adult life went into struggling to make people believe that he wasn't as dim as Joey.

Actor Matt LeBlanc attend the 2017 PaleyLive LA Summer Season Premiere Screening And Conversation For Showtime's "Episodes" at The Paley Center for Media on August 16, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California (Getty Images)

"People will speak slowly to me sometimes. And they always ask me if I'm all right, because I'm much more low-key and reserved than my character in Friends. They think that I'm depressed, or I'm sad, or upset – but I'm just not amped up to go out in front of an audience and do a TV show. That's not who I am," he told The Guardian a decade ago.

'Friends: The Reunion' can be streamed on HBO Max.