Matt LeBlanc, the beloved sitcom icon famous for his role as Joey Tribbiani on Friends, is venturing into dramatic territory with a new crime series in development at CBS. The 58-year-old actor is set to both star in and executive produce the upcoming show, titled Flint, marking a significant departure from his comedic roots.
From Friends to Flint: A Career Transformation
LeBlanc achieved worldwide fame through his decade-long portrayal of the lovably dimwitted lothario Joey Tribbiani on the NBC sitcom Friends, which aired from 1994 to 2004. Alongside co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and the late Matthew Perry, he became a household name. Following the show's conclusion, he remained with NBC for the spin-off Joey, which lasted two seasons before ending in 2006.
However, LeBlanc found renewed sitcom success by playing a fictionalized version of himself on the Hollywood satire Episodes, co-created by David Crane, who also co-created Friends. The series, starring LeBlanc alongside Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan, ran for five seasons from 2011 to 2017 and earned him his first Golden Globe award.
LeBlanc's Recent Television Ventures
LeBlanc later joined the CBS network with the sitcom Man with a Plan, a working-class family comedy set in Pittsburgh that aired from 2016 to 2020. Additionally, he hosted the UK motoring show Top Gear alongside Chris Evans from 2016 to 2019, departing due to the extensive time commitment and travel required, which he felt took him away from family and friends. Man with a Plan marked his last regular TV role, concluding the same year he appeared in the HBO Max Friends reunion hosted by James Corden.
Flint: A New Chapter in Serious Drama
In Flint, LeBlanc will portray a Los Angeles police officer on the verge of retirement who is unexpectedly slapped with a five-year extension of his service. Stricken with burnout, he begins breaking rules in a bid to get himself fired, but counterintuitively becomes a more effective lawman as a result. The series is being developed in collaboration with Evan Katz, an executive producer on the hit Kiefer Sutherland show 24.
This move into crime drama represents a notable shift for LeBlanc, whose career has been predominantly defined by sitcoms. Despite his success in comedy, including his memorable self-parody on Episodes, he is now exploring more serious acting roles that challenge his established persona.
Financial Success and Personal Reflections
LeBlanc's television career has afforded him considerable financial stability. By the end of Friends, he and his five main co-stars were earning $1 million per episode each, and the reunion special alone reportedly netted him $2.5 million. In a 2018 interview on the Norwegian-Swedish talk show Sklavan, he humorously remarked that his favorite activity is "doing nothing," joking about becoming a "professional nothing."
He expressed gratitude for his success, noting the 12 years spent on Friends and Joey involved "a lot of work." LeBlanc has been candid about how his wealth from television allows him to relax and pursue projects selectively, emphasizing his appreciation for the opportunities his career has provided.
With Flint in development, Matt LeBlanc continues to evolve as an actor, transitioning from sitcom stardom to potentially groundbreaking roles in dramatic television. Fans and critics alike will be watching closely as he brings this new character to life on CBS.
