Matt LeBlanc stepped out in Los Angeles on Friday for a rare public appearance.
The beloved star, who brought Joey Tribbiani to life in Friends, was spotted visiting a car showroom in the Californian neighborhood of Van Nuys on Friday, September 6.
The 57-year-old star's casual look featured a simple black T-shirt, dark jeans, and a pair of dark sneakers, topped off with a navy baseball cap.
Highlights
- Matt LeBlanc, 57, made a rare public appearance in Los Angeles after months out of the spotlight.
- Fans noted significant changes in his appearance, prompting comments ranging from body-shaming to defending natural aging.
- He has largely stayed out of the public eye since the death of his 'Friends' co-star, Matthew Perry.
- “I think I would like to retire earlier rather than later because I would like to do not a f---ing thing. That’s what I would like to do. Just nothing," he said in 2017.
Matt LeBlanc makes a rare public appearance in Los Angeles after months out of the spotlight
Image credits: BACKGRID via Vida Press
While time may have passed, his easygoing charm was still evident.
The actor has remained under the radar since his co-star Matthew Perry’s untimely death in October. Matt was pictured in November 2023 saying his final goodbye to the deceased actor at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
He was also pictured in December with friends, months before his recent outing last week.
The 57-year-old star was seen in a laid-back outfit, donning a black T-shirt, dark jeans, and a navy baseball cap during his visit to a car showroom in Van Nuys
Fans didn’t hesitate to comment on his changed appearance.
“What happend to him. so obese,” one said, while another wrote, “Dad bod.”
“He has put on so much weight...hope he is fine…” said one fan.
Others asked haters to back off, with one saying, “Leave him alone!”
“It's called ageing. Happens to most of us,” one said.
Fans were quick to comment on his changed appearance, with some body-shaming, while others defended him against harsh comments, emphasizing the natural aging process
“In case you didn't realize, most men will gain weight and go grey or bald as they age,” said another. “Most people in their late 50s don't look like they did when they were 20 something.”
Matt has previously spoken about how, for most of his adult life, people expected him to be similar to the goofy, jovial Friends character, Joey Tribbiani.
"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,” he told The Guardian. “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."
"I'm much more low-key and reserved than my character in Friends," he said
Following the conclusion of Friends in 2004, Matt took on the lead role in the spinoff series Joey, which had a brief run and was canceled in 2006. Afterward, he stepped back from acting for a while.
He returned to the screen in 2011, when he played a fictionalized version of himself on the hit comedy Episodes and earned a Golden Globe as well as four Emmy Award nominations.
After wrapping up the filming for the final season of the show, he said would like to retire from acting and "do nothing" during an appearance on Conan in 2017.
The onscreen star said he would like to retire early and "do not a f---ing thing"
When Conan O'Brien asked whether he wanted to quit, the TV star said, “I would love that.”
"I'm 50 in a couple of weeks -- I'm getting old," he continued, "I think I would like to retire earlier rather than later because I would like to do not a f---ing thing. That's what I would like to do. Just nothing. Nothing. Zero."
In 2022, he told ET that he won’t be appearing on any of his former co-stars’ TV shows.
"I'm taking some time off right now," he told the outlet. "I'm just enjoying not having to do anything -- it's been kinda nice. Sorry, I'll let you know when I do."