Is there a Friends curse? There seemed to be a Seinfeld curse until Julia Louis-Dreyfus found success with The New Adventures of Old Christine, before it was unceremoniously cancelled. Courteney Cox has a successful sitcom with Cougar Town but her private life is a mess. Jennifer Aniston can’t buy a hit movie or a boyfriend, as much as she tries. David Schwimmer is having a baby with his new half-his-age wife, but Lisa Kudrow seems totally off the radar.

At least Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc are trying to get back into the TV game. Both have new shows coming out this winter. Matthew Perry’s show is a comedy called Mr. Sunshine.

Don’t be fooled by the title. Matthew Perry is more sardonic than cheerful in this new comedy about the self-involved manager of a San Diego arena who begins to reevaluate his life when he hits the big 4-0. The Friends alum can relate: His return to the small screen was prompted by his own stark realization.

“My phone wasn’t ringing off the hook with movie offers,” he admits.

Still, Sunshine is much more than a paycheck for Perry. Besides starring, he cocreated it and also serves as a writer and exec producer. “It’s important to try to do something you haven’t done before, especially if you’re scared of doing it,” he says of spreading his creative wings. “Luckily, I was smart enough to know you should surround yourself with funny, talented people.”

Rounding out the crack ensemble: Allison Janney as Perry’s pill-popping boss and Andrea Anders (Joey) as Perry’s former — and future? — romantic interest.

While the arena setting provides opportunity for a variety of hot guest stars — including Nick Jonas — don’t expect Perry’s former Friends to drop by, at least for now. “I wanted to convey the message that this is a new thing,” he says. “But if the show goes on for a while, I would love that.”

[TV Guide, print edition, January 3, 2010]

Mr. Sunshine sort of sounds like Chandler with a different job and new friends, but since Chandler was pretty funny, this may work. Mr. Sunshine premieres Wednesday, February 9 at 9:30PM on ABC.

Matt LeBlanc is on a cable comedy called Episodes.

Matt LeBlanc spent 12 years in Joey Tribbiani’s shoes — first on the classic comedy Friends, then on its not-so-classic spin-off, Joey. But on January 9, the three-time Emmy nominee returns to TV in Showtime’s Episodes as someone he’s even more familiar with…Matt LeBlanc. Or at least a spoiled, morally bankrupt (and, ahem, very well-endowed) version of the actor, dreamed up for the biting Hollywood satire by cocreator (and former Friends producer) David Crane and his partner Jeffrey Klarik. LeBlanc [is] now 43 and father to 6-year-old Marina.

How did Episodes happen?
After Friends, David and I kept in touch, and about two years ago, he and Jeffrey called me up and said, “What are you doing?” I said, “Just being a dad — and spending some of that Friends money.” They were like, “We have an idea. Let’s get together for lunch.” I said, “Great.” But I really wasn’t looking to do anything.

Why not?
When Joey ended [in 2006], it was a weird time in my life. I’d gotten divorced, and my daughter had been diagnosed with this weird brain thing [a disorder that caused seizures]. Now she’s out of the woods with all that stuff. But it was a really stressful time.

Now your hair is a distinguished gray.
I started going gray very young, and I started dyeing my hair during Friends. But after taking five years off, I was like, “What’s the point?”

Unlike the Matt in the show, you don’t…what?
Leave my phone on in a meeting. The only time I’d [do that] is if there was something important pending with a family member. I don’t have my own jet. I would love to, but I don’t. And I’ll set the record straight: I have a perfectly human-proportioned penis. [The character] is less who I am and more the public’s perception of celebrity. That’s the guy we tried to write.

There continue to be rumors of a Friends reunion. Do you want it to happen?
No. I’d rather have a party and have everybody [from the cast] there. Friends was this magical, cool thing, like lightning in a bottle, and I feel superfortunate to have been a part of it. But I can’t see [a reunion] not feeling gratuitous. What would the story be? We all get together and what? Have coffee? It would be almost sad. It’s better to just imagine what those characters are doing now, because then it can be whatever you want it to be.

[TV Guide, print edition, January 3, 2010]

Matt has let himself go grey for this role, and it will be interesting to see him as someone other than Joey. The show is getting pretty decent reviews. Entertainment Weekly called LeBlanc “superb.”

I wish they would have asked LeBlanc if any of the Friends actors will be appearing on Episodes, like they did with Matt Perry. Episodes sounds like a good fit for Schwimmer or Kudrow to make a guest spot, playing themselves.

Episodes premieres Sunday, January 9 at 9:30PM on Showtime.

Header image is from January, 2004. Credit: PRPhotos. Images below of Matt LeBlanc from 11/23/10 and of Perry from 8/1/10. Credit: WENN.com

Matt LeBlanc is sad. No one pays attention to him anymore. No one really wants to talk to him, and on the rare occasion that someone does want to talk to him, they call him “Joey.” Repeatedly. I was fully prepared to call Matt a douche, a drunk and a has-been for this incident, but I kind of see where Matt was coming from. The guy talking to him was a major tool, and he was definitely trying to provoke Matt. Of course, Matt could have handled it better. The basic incident: Matt was hammered and trying his hand at deejaying at a London club. When he stumbled into this Daily Mirror reporter’s table, the reporter started heckling him and calling him “Joey.” Matt got pissed off, and started bitching.

As one of the stars of sitcom Friends, you’d think Matt LeBlanc was an affable sort of fella who was able to take a joke. Not so…When we bumped into the actor – famous as Joey in the long-running US series – and called him by his character’s name, he wasn’t laughing at all.

Saturdays star Mollie King was one of the celebs enjoying Hed Kandi’s London Fashion Week party at Maddox on Tuesday. She watched in horror as Matt, 43, kicked off at us.
Earlier he clumsily knocked into our table, sending glasses flying.

So, of course, we asked: “You all right, Joey? How YOU do-in?” But Matt raged back: “I’m not Joey. Don’t you dare call me Joey. The papers say I’m finished, so don’t call me f***ing Joey. I want to leave that all behind. I’m moving on.”

Mulling this over we replied: “OK, Joey, if that’s how you feel. But what are you doing? Let’s be honest, Joey, that’s who everyone knows you as.”

But Matt, who also tried his hand at DJing on the night to mark Hed Kandi’s new World Series album and fashion launch, wasn’t amused.

He yelled: “I’m not Joey. For the last time. I’m not f***ing Joey. It’s Matt. Matt LeBlanc. Joey’s in the past. I’m trying to do something new.”

Us: “Like what, Joey?” Joey: “I’m gonna do comedy. Working with the Friends producers to do comedy in England. And it’s got nothing to do with Joey before you ask.”

He then took a swig from his glass, on a table loaded with vodka, mixers and champagne. He didn’t offer us any, but hey, Joey doesn’t share food.. or drinks. At this point his aide dragged him away.

It’s not the first time Joey has got trashed in a London club. He was the talk of Mahiki last June. Our spy said: “Matt told everyone he was going to have a relatively quiet night. But when the first drink went down.. he changed his tune.”

Don’t worry, Joey. If you ever need Friends to party with, you know where we are…

[From The Daily Mirror UK]

It’s just kind of sad for everyone involved. The reporter is a douche, but so is Matt. And after the scandal that went down when he left his wife for his costar, he should be thankful that people only seem to remember him for playing a lovable dope on two f-cking television shows. It could be worse. They could remember him for smoking weed in a car in full view of photographers. Or for being hammered and bitching out a douche reporter. So… what the hell is going on with him? Downward spiral?

LeBlanc in London on Sept. 13, 2010. Credit: WENN.

Rumors have resurfaced that a “Friends” movie, based on the hit NBC sitcom that ran for ten years, is in the works. “Friends” has been off the air for five years and it seems like we’ve been hearing stories of a big screen version ever since. Last year, The Daily Mail claimed that a Friends movie was forthcoming, and that it would be produced by Warner Brothers, a claim that Warner Brothers promptly denied. Now News of The World has a new interview with James Michael Tyler, who played cute bald barista Gunther at the show’s coffee house, Central Perk. Tyler allegedly confirms that a film is underway, and that everyone has signed on, including presumed holdout Jennifer Aniston:

Hugs all round – because we can reveal that Friends is back for a big-screen version of the hit sitcom.

Studio bosses have got together for an oversized mug of coffee to prepare a script for a film version of the series.

And they are ready to break the bank with a multi-million package to get the main cast on board.

In an exclusive interview with the News of the World, James Michael Tyler – who played Central Perk oddball Gunther – confirmed: “Friends: The Movie is definitely on. I still keep in touch with a lot of the cast and they say that they are really keen.”

The film comes in the wake of the big screen version of Sex And The City which took an astonishing $408,921,925 at the box office.

The cast have always made no secret about a desire to do a film and Lisa Kudrow said: “It would be so fun to be with all those people again.

“But our show was not like Sex and the City – ours was multi-camera, in front of a live audience.

“It’s a completely different feel. You’d have to bring the tone down, and I don’t know how it would be. I’ll just stay open.”

Meanwhile actor James, 47, who is in London for the launch of a Central Perk themed coffee shop in Soho, is keen to reprise his role as Gunther on the big screen.

He said: “The one thing I can tell you is that I am definitely on board to do the film.

“I really loved my time on the show and I am looking forward to meeting up with the old gang again.

“I just hope we can do justice to the show in a film.”

[From News of The World]

Jennifer Aniston is just about the only castmember who seems busy and successful enough to want to avoid a film version of “Friends.” She’s been gracious to the show that helped launch her career but has said several times that she’s moved on and doesn’t want to do a movie. Aniston has her own production company and according to IMDB she has three films in post production and a whopping seven films in development. I doubt she has the time or inclination to remind us yet again how well she plays Rachel Green. Courtney Cox has a new sitcom, “Cougar Town,” that premiered last week and is doing well in the ratings. (I saw it and thought it was goofy and trying too hard, but people seem to like it.) She isn’t that booked and would probably gladly do a “Friends” movie. The other cast members, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer, have all kind of floundered in their careers post-”Friends” and would probably love to a do a film.

That said, it’s possible that News of the World is either making this up (they’ve been known to fabricate entire interviews) or that they’re twisting Tyler’s words to make it sound like a movie is in the works when all he said was that he’d be open to it. It seems like all the latest films are based on old ideas and I wouldn’t be surprised if this was in the works, but I won’t believe it until I hear confirmation from a reliable source. “Friends” was a great show, though, and I would definitely go see the movie if this is true.

Images are random Friends screencaps, with some credit FriendsCafe.org

Rumors have abounded since Friends ended its successful ten year run in 2004 that the cast would make a movie. Every so often one of the cast members would admit they’ve been talking about it, but there was always one holdout, who no one would ever name. Sometimes they’d claim it was one of the guys, though it was often rumored to be Jennifer Aniston.

Supposedly they’re really going to make the film now, inspired by the success (and I’m guessing the money) of the recent Sex & the City film.

The highly anticipated film production of TV series Friends has finally been given the go-ahead, MailOnline has learned. The actors have been inspired by the recent success of Sex And The City, which recently hit cinemas worldwide. A source said: ‘Jennifer, Courteney and the rest of the cast are keen to reprise their roles, under the right circumstances.

‘The box office success of Sex And The City has really got their wheels spinning about how a Friends film could be just as big, if done right. Timing and the script are really important, but now that Courteney and Jen both have production companies, they can potentially get very involved in those decisions.’

While Cox, 44, LeBlanc, 40, Perry, 39, Kudrow, 45 and Schwimmer, 41, were believed to be keen on the reunion, Aniston, 39, is believed to have dragged her heels. Now, however, she is keen to move ahead with the project, which will be produced by Warner Bros. ‘She says she and Courteney have already talked this summer about what they want out of a Friends movie, and if deals can be made with them, everything else can fall into place rather quickly.

[From the Daily Mail]

It sounds like things are as close to happening as they’ve ever been. But when the same rumor has been floating around for four years, it’s hard to tell when/if it’s actually become legitimate. Even though Jennifer Aniston is probably the biggest star from the show, I think all of them could benefit from a successful film. The Daily Mail pointed out that Aniston has had a few okay movies, but she’s still much better known for her personal life than her great movie career. And I’m pretty sure that at this point, Matt LeBlanc should take whatever he can get.

It seemed like there was a bit of a Friends backlash right after the series finale. Suddenly everyone was claiming they never found it funny. Television comedies have really moved in a different direction since then. There are very few traditional sitcoms left on the air – and almost none of them are filmed in front of a live audience anymore. It’ll be interesting to see if people still find the show’s brand of humor funny. Something tells me that no matter what, it won’t compare to the financial success of the Sex & the City film.

Update by Celebitchy: A representative for Warner Brothers has denied that there’s a Friends movie in the works, saying “(There’s) no truth in the story.” Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry’s spokespeople have also denied that there’s a Friends movie being planned. [Details From SFGate]

Matt LeBlanc’s former manager is suing for commissions due, thought to be around $1 million.

In a lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Camille Cerio says she was LeBlanc’s manager from April 1994 until the end of 1995, and during that time signed a contract with him that entitled her to commissions on income he earned from “Friends” and any derivatives of the show, such as “Joey.”

According to the lawsuit, LeBlanc paid her those commissions until 2000, but has not paid her anything since then. Cerio said LeBlanc, as recently as last year, orally promised to give her an accounting of all money owed since the last payment in 2000, and to pay all the money owed. However, she said, no further money has been forthcoming.

Variety

So will Matt LeBlanc open up his bank statements and share his personal wealth with his manager, and through the courts the rest of the world.

A representative for the former Friend doesn’t think so, telling TMZ “In a land of meritless lawsuits, this is the king of all cases without merit.”

I’m astounded that someone who hasn’t been involved in someone’s career for over ten years can still claim their earnings. I understand that in negotiating Matt’s employment with Friends, Camille can claim for earnings from that show, but surely Joey must have been negotitaed by Matt’s new management.

Matt LeBlanc’s spin-off show from Friends, Joey, ended last year. No further projects have been announced.

Note by Celebitchy: I looked for like 1/2 an hour for a picture of Joey’s agent from Friends, Estelle, played by June Gable. I couldn’t find a screencap from Friends or any decent pictures of her other than those tiny ones in the header, but I was reminded of that ornery manager when I read this story. Joey’s agent Estelle died near the end of Friends, but the actress who played her, June Gable, is still alive and well at just 62.

The NY Post’s Cindy Adams reports that a long-rumored “Friends” reunion is now in the works, and that holdout Jennifer Aniston finally agreed to it:

A while ago it was rumored that Lisa Kudrow said that “one of the guys” was holding up the reunion after Kathleen Turner let it slip that she was approached to reprise her role as Chandler’s mom, but then Kudrow denied that a reunion was in the works.

Now that Cindy Adams has reported it, it’s probably true, and I can’t wait! I love that show, although it’s hard to watch now that I have such a poor opinion of Aniston. She must have realized how much she owes to “Friends” and maybe she’ll be grateful to the show for making her famous.

Matt LeBlanc and his wife, Melissa McNight, have split up after three years of marriage. LeBlanc filed divorce papers in LA this week, and LeBlanc’s reps confirmed the news.

The couple has a daughter, Marina, 2, who is said to have a neurological disorder that causes her to suffer from seizures. LeBlanc has two stepchildren from a previous marriage.

LeBlanc’s sitcom, Joey, has not been officially cancelled, but is expected to be let go by NBC as it has suffered from poor ratings.