Young ‘Friends’ Fan Mistakes Matt LeBlanc For Joey’s Father
The series Friends first aired on September 22, 1994, with Matt LeBlanc starring as the character Joey Tribbiani. While the series has long since concluded, new generations continue to tune in and watch the sitcom for the first time. Unfortunately for Leblanc and the rest of the cast, they don’t exactly look the same as they did when the series first aired.
The Friends alum certainly got a giggle out of fans of the series during an appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan a few days ago when he dished on an awkward interaction with a younger and newer fan of the series.
According to Matt, the popular ’90s sitcom is finding a new audience each year as younger viewers discover the show. It certainly doesn’t hurt that all 10 seasons are readily available for new viewers to stream via the Netflix library.
While the beloved characters on Friends will forever on screen be preserved in the best years of their lives, the actors themselves are certainly a bit older now than when the show started back in 1994.
A slightly heavier, grey-haired Matt described an incident involving a fan that really had him feeling his age.
According to the actor, he was walking down the street one day a few years back when a young teenager approached him excitedly and exclaimed, ‘”Oh my god, you’re Joey’s dad!”
The now 51-year-old Leblanc said that he responded by yelling, “Scram! Like an old guy would say.”
Matt LeBlanc Reveals a Teenage Friends Fan Thought He Was Joey's Dad https://t.co/dnjhdNm0wL
— People (@people) January 25, 2019
The show has an original fan base with viewers who are predominately 30- to 40-years-old now has been a staple on Netflix for many years now as it continues to draw in new fans each year.
The sitcom has been off-network for a decade and a half, but it made news headlines earlier this year when it was revealed that Netflix recently dished out more than $100 million to keep the show in their library.
The show was scheduled to leave the library this year – and when fans found out – they spoke out, prompting the streaming giant to open up their wallets to keep the beloved ’90s comedy on the menu.
Matt LeBlanc stole a couple of things from the "Friends" set once the show ended. https://t.co/RbwhLnDFQh
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) January 26, 2019
The price tag did jump significantly for 2019, as the streaming giant had previously only paid Warner $30 million a year for the show since its original addition in 2015.
“The Holiday Armadillo has granted your wish: Friends will still be there for you in the US throughout 2019,” the streaming giant penned in a very festive tweet to their followers after finalizing the deal.
