Matt LeBlanc is about to host a Top Gear reboot in the UK, following the firing of previous longterm host Jeremy Clarkson for an alleged violent altercation with a staff member. It’s bizarre that Top Gear on BBC Two is going to get an American host, considering that there’s also an American version of Top Gear (which isn’t as good in my opinion). You would think they could find a British car enthusiast to host the show, not that it matters to me but I would assume some UK fans would have thoughts on that. The show has been on for 39 years and has always had a British host. LeBlanc has been a guest on the show, he’s a big car enthusiast, and he’s excited to host.
Anyway LeBlanc is promoting his upcoming gig on Top Gear, which premieres in May. The Mirror UK ran what looked like an exclusive interview with LeBlanc complete with new-sounding quotes about how he went though a dark time following the failure of his Friends spinoff, Joey. They admit that some of the quotes from LeBlanc are older, but the piece is misleading and presents other quotes like they’re new.
Matt, 48, says: “For years and years, I barely left the house. I was burnt out. I wanted to not have a schedule, not be somewhere. I was in a position to do that. My agent was bummed. Most actors call their agents and say, ‘What’s going on?’. I’d call mine and say, ‘Please lose my number for a few years’. It was a very dark time. I almost had a nervous breakdown.”
He says: “[My daughter and I] make breakfast, go horseback riding, hiking, I really try to offset this computer age kid thing that’s going on now with as much time outside.
“Spending time with her is the best thing I’ve ever done. We have a great bond and it’s the best thing in my life.”
“I remember when my daughter, Marina, was born. The second I laid eyes on her, I was in love, and I had never felt that way before. I couldn’t believe it. I knew from that moment there was nothing that would ever stop me from loving her – even if she crashed my Ferrari.”
Many outlets are running the nervous breakdown quotes like they’re new, but LeBlanc tweeted that he did not have a nervous breakdown nor did he give an interview to the Mirror.
Hey,to clarify,I never had a nervous breakdown nor did I do an interview with the Mirror in the UK. So don't believe the hype. But thanks
— Matt LeBlanc (@Matt_LeBlanc) February 8, 2016
I think I found the original interviews with LeBlanc where some of these quotes came from. It looks like the Mirror took some things he’s said and embellished them heavily. Here are the original quotes he gave to Boston Common Magazine in 2014 and Redbook in 2012 you can compare them to the quoted text above.
LeBlanc withdrew to his 1,200-acre ranch near Santa Barbara, with dirt bikes, horses, and 130 head of cattle with big horns “like goalposts.” He didn’t act for five years. In fact, he barely left the house. “I wasn’t ready to go back to work. There were shows I said no to. I was just not wanting to be in the spotlight, and it was really good for me.” – From Boston Common
I remember when my daughter, Marina, was born. The second I laid eyes on her, I was in love, and I had never felt that way before. I couldn’t believe it. I knew from that moment there was nothing that would ever stop me from loving her–even if she crashed my Ferrari! – From Redbook
I hate when outlets do this. The Mirror should offer a retraction and apology at least because they not only rehashed old quotes they also added some new things that LeBlanc didn’t even say.
photo credit: WENN.com and Getty
currently watching friends
Cool story, bro.
The new Top Gear host is CHRIS EVANS, replacing Jeremy, Richard and James (and the show-runner). “Joey” is a co-presenter. Seems like I’m splitting hairs but it is a significant difference. Seems if this fact is wrong, how can we trust any of the “facts” presented in this gossip editorial. Am I right?
He’s great in Episodes too.
yes i love episodes!
I was surprised by how much I love Episodes!
he looks like he should be on a cop show. like, svu or something.
The facial hair and salt and pepper sprinkles work really nicely on him.
No kidding. How you doin’?
I think that out of all the cast, MLB is the only one that seems to have gotten his life put well together, both personally and professionally. He does good funny interviews too.
I’d argue Kudrow and Schwimmer are doing great.
-TheRealPinky
Yep and they are the most talented of this bunch.
Jennifer too.
Idk. Aside from Mathew Perry’s substance problems and Courteney’s unfortunate surgeries (although things could be worse), with their vast popularity and ten year run on a hit show with the reruns introducing them to a new audience…..got to take a breather, long run on sentence……I think they’ve all done pretty well…..if Matt had to do it over, I wonder if he would have reconsidered doing Joey right after Friends, that was a fail, but he’s looking good now..
I don’t see Kudrow and Schwimmer in much of anything. Cox has messed up her face. Perry has his problems… Aniston’s personal life seems like a joke, same with her career.
You might not like what Aniston does, but she has without a doubt been the most successful of all the Friends.
@ MooHoo
When I counted ‘life’ as including both personal & professional, Aniston wouldn’t win over LeBlanc.
MooHoo: I agree. Jennifer is undoubtedly the most successful Friend whether she is liked by everyone or not. She had one failed marriage years ago and has a new marriage. From the article, LeBlanc’s best relationship is with his daughter, so I guess it’s on your own respective who has the “better” personal life. Six of one, half dozen of the other.
I think Matt has ended up on the best show (Episodes is really funny) but they all seem like they’re doing well to me. Lisa has been doing a lot of TV and TV producing too.
Friends was such a huge hit, anything else is going to seem less than by comparison, but all of them have continued to work fairly steadily, considering they were all set for life financially.
lucy2: How refreshing to get a post from logic as opposed to emotion. People get so shady about those they don’t like. I love lucy!
I think they’ve all been successful by different standards of they want. Schwimmer took a lot of time off, went to London, directed theater, got married, had a baby. Now he’s back and getting good reviews (and ratings) playing Robert Kardashian on American Crime Story. Kudrow has worked continuously in tv and film. LeBlanc took the time off, had a very long term relationship which only ended a short time ago (Andrea Anders) and then came back with Episodes where he’s gotten several noms. Courtney Cox had Dirt for 2 yrs and Cougar Town for 5 (?) and I think she also produced both. Matthew Perry has worked pretty non-stop like Kudrow though mostly in tv–but he’s done drama and comedy. Jennifer Aniston was the one who seemed she really wanted to movie star thing and she got it. She may not carry a movie but she gets roles and is pretty highly paid. Her personal life was what she was most known for but that seems in the rearview mirror now with her new marriage. So I don’t think any of them ended up on the D-list, I think they just had different things they wanted to focus on both professionally and personally.
None of them seem like screw-ups to me. They all seem to be “stable”, except for maybe Courtney Cox’s face. Matthew Perry has addiction issues, but those problems seemed to wear him down more when he actually was on the show. He seems fine now and appears to be helping others with the same problem.
never thought Joey Tribbiani was hot, but older Matt LeBlanc is looking pretty good.
also, I agree that the US version of Top Gear is not as good as the UK version.
actually, let me clarify that.
they never should have done the US version.
Good memory about MLB being in the UK’s Top Gear. That’s a big win for him, I think, and which he might be good at.
I got around to watching the first season of Episodes. The man is quite talanted. The show is pretty, pretty, pretty good.
I, too, love EPISODES. It’s great that he is fine with making his charachter (himself) look like an a$$. Very, very funny.
He’s great in Episodes. The show had one not-so-good season, but has rebounded well. It’s pretty hilarious and he’s the best part.
Love the series “Episodes” in which he plays a fictional version of himself. Very funny! I believe it’s on Netflix now.
Does anyone knows when season 5 of Episodes will be on? Thanks
I think they start filming in a few months. I love that show!
Top Gear had a very tall order to find someone to replace the massively popular (though boorish) Clarkson – both in finding someone enjoyable to watch and in someone who really, really knows cars. LeBlanc is an interesting choice, and while he’s an odd fit for the British show, keep in mind that the show has a huge worldwide audience. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of chemistry he has with his co-hosts, and exactly how much LeBlanc will be doing. There’s a fair amount of travel involved, with their various specials.
The new Top Gear host is CHRIS EVANS, replacing Jeremy, Richard and James (and the show-runner). “Joey” is a co-presenter. Seems like I’m splitting hairs but it is a significant difference. Seems if this fact is wrong, how can we trust any of the “facts” presented in this gossip editorial. Am I right?
I love FRIENDS and have watched each episode countless times. It was interesting to see how they all grew as actors and how their characters developed. Loved all the guys on the show and thought they were not given the credit they deserve for being legit actors. Glad to see Matt doing well. BTW – I always thought Matt and David played off each other so well. Some of the best bits on FRIENDS were with these two.
Funny he issued a denial for this but not once denied his dad’s allegations that he cheated with Jennifer while shooting Friends…
I do love Top Gear and excited to see what Matt is going to be like.
Her reps denied it right away. Maybe he didn’t feel the need to then, or didn’t want to dignify his father’s comments with a response.
It’s funny that on Episodes, Matt’s father gives fake stories to TMZ when he wants more money from Matt. I think that’s probably a wink to what the jerk was really like.
I think he joined twitter pretty recently and her rep denied it.
He has said they’re not in touch due to his father ‘selling stories about me to the tabloids’ and do you think a tabloid would pay for his to comments on anyone else? I think the only people who believe it are the ones that really, really want it to be true.
Yeah, he wasn’t on Twitter when that story came out, and he doesn’t tend to get his reps to respond to gossip.
I doubt he thought the JA story needed denying. He’s been pretty open about cutting his father out of his life because he sold bullshit stories to the tabloids, so who would believe him this time. Responding just gives his father more credibility than he deserves.
Silver Fox LeBlanc is hotter now than he ever was on Friends. Man, he has aged well.
He’s co-host on the new Top Gear, alongside renowned broascaster Chris Evans. No, not THAT Chris Evans.
TIL that there’s a US version of Top Gear. Why?
The reason the Brit version has a Yank presenter is because the show with Jeremy & Co was a huge sell internationally. I’m guessing that the Beeb believe they have a better shot of shilling the reboot with an American host in the mix.
Also, 39 years? Really? Not sure about that.