The cast of Friends has made a fortune from the hit sitcom, and has been revered as being the highest paid cast in the history of television. Matt LeBlanc was among the group of 6 actors that started off earning thousands per episode, and quickly found themselves at the negotiations table, earning their right to be paid out a handsome $1,000,000 per episode. These days, the seasoned actor is raking in millions of dollars each year off residual checks, from syndication alone, and he’s adding to his already incredible $80 million net worth. Life wasn’t always this luxurious for LeBlanc. He has recently come forward to reveal that he was so short on cash that he would have likely starved, had he not been cast on Friends.
4 He Couldn’t Afford An $80 Dental Bill
A post shared by Matt LeBlanc (@mleblanc)
Before he hit it big by landing the role of Joey Tribbiani on Friends, Matt LeBlanc had tried his luck as a model, and had dabbled in the world of acting. He was trying his luck in the world of entertainment, but as most actors and models do, he was hitting dead ends and his auditions weren’t landing him any callbacks. He was dedicated to making a name for himself and kept hoping his big break would come, but he hit a few snags along the way.
As he explored the world of modeling, his agent told him he needed to get some headshots done, and informed him that he would see a better response if he were to have one of his teeth filed. He was instructed to go see a dentist to have some work done, but LeBlanc, who admits he was frugal and was financially struggling, decided that the $80 dental bill was far too much. He decided to take matters into his own hands, stating; “So I go to the drug store and buy a three-pack of emery boards…”indicating he did the job himself.
RELATED: How Lisa Kudrow Rose To Fame As One Of The World’s Favorite ‘Friends’
3 Trying To Clinch Jobs As An Actor…
A post shared by Matt LeBlanc (@mleblanc)
LeBlanc continued to seek opportunities as an actor and tried out for a number of roles before he was able to find his own footing. He started off by acting in commercials, and wound up representing some high end brands, inclusive of Heinz Ketchup. As he started to gain momentum, he managed to snag some decent roles in music videos, acting in Jon Bon Jovi’s video for Miracle in 1990, which was soon followed up with the music video that he appeared in for Alanis Morrisette’s hit single, Walk Away in 1991. He started to gain traction and went on to appear with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in Into The Great Wide Open.
LeBlanc continued seeking greater opportunities and increased his exposure by clinching roles in Top of the Heap, Married With Children, and Vinnie and Bobby.
2 His Net Worth Was $11.00
A post shared by Matt LeBlanc (@mleblanc)
Sadly, in spite of the work being enough to keep him on television, Matt LeBlanc wasn’t earning enough to keep things afloat. He was financially struggling in a big way, and admits that had he not been cast as Joey Tribbiani, he wouldn’t have had enough money to eat for at least two weeks. With just $11.00 remaining in his bank account, Matt LeBlanc was getting desperate for work, and things were not looking good.
“You know when you think ‘I’ve got a little money in the bank, I can hold out until the next gig’? I had, I think I was down to $11. Now that’s holding out too long. Because even if I said at that point: ‘I’m going to go get a waiter job,’ by the time that $11 ran out would’ve been before the first pay cheque on that job. I would’ve starved.”
It’s hard to imagine that LeBlanc was in such dire need of money to survive. His luck thankfully took a turn, and he would soon never want for anything again, making this one of the most memorable rags to riches stories of all time.
1 Fame And Fortune On Friends
A post shared by Matt LeBlanc (@mleblanc)
In 1994, the night before his audition for Friends, Matt LeBlanc and his longtime pal had decided to drink a tad bit too much. LeBlanc ended up losing his balance and falling down, hitting his nose. A chunk of his nose was missing, and the blood started to clot, leaving him with a visible injury on his face.
As he showed up to audition, one of the show’s producers, Marta Kauffman, questioned his appearance, and he told her the true story, adding in a comedic spin of his own. Then he perfectly embodied the role of Joey Tribbiani, and Kauffman, Bright, and Crane decided he was the perfect fit for the show.
Matt LeBlanc officially joined the cast, and started off earning $22,500 per episode, immediately changing his financial path and the outlook for his future. The world quickly fell in love with Joey’s naivety and his womanizing ways, and the show soared to immeasurable heights of success. He earned $540,000 for the first season, and by the time the show reached its final stages, he was raking in $1,000,000 per episode. The cast members were friends in real life, and were seeing success together.
Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, and Matthew Perry went on to see huge success and make massive fortunes with Friends, which quickly became the top sitcom, winning awards world-wide.
Matt LeBlanc’s stressful days with just $11.00 under his belt are long behind him, as he forges forward with an impressive $80 million under his belt, and a world of opportunity ahead of him.
READ NEXT: Strangeness Personified: 10 Celebrities That Have Super Strange Habits
Sources: The Sun, Biography, Celebrity Net Worth, Today,
Source: Read Full Article