Joey’s Audition: Unlucky but Perfect
Sometimes, destiny comes with a black eye—or a busted nose, in Matt LeBlanc’s case. Long before Friends became the ultimate sitcom juggernaut, LeBlanc’s audition for Joey Tribbiani took an unexpected (and slightly painful) turn. The night before one of his key auditions, LeBlanc and his buddy decided to embrace the “friends hanging out” vibe with a little too much enthusiasm. A few drinks in, he stumbled on his way to the bathroom, face-planted into a toilet, and walked away with a nose injury.
But here’s the twist: that very mishap became the golden ticket. LeBlanc showed up to his audition with a visible mark on his face. He spun the hilarious story like the charming goofball Joey himself when asked about it. It had the casting directors cracking up, sealing the deal for a role that would define his career. LeBlanc’s comedic timing—and that real-life “Joey moment”—proved he was Joey Tribbiani, inside and out.
The road to casting Joey wasn’t exactly smooth. Two big names were seriously considered before Matt LeBlanc made the role his own.
One of them? Comedy legend Hank Azaria. He auditioned twice, convinced the show was going to be massive. But despite his best efforts, Joey slipped through his fingers.
Still, Azaria didn’t walk away empty-handed. He later returned to the Friends universe as David — Phoebe Buffay’s sweet, shy scientist boyfriend. Fans loved him, rooted for him… right up until Paul Rudd’s Mike Hannigan came along and stole the show (and Phoebe’s heart).
Oh, and guess who else was in the running? Vince Vaughn — long before Wedding Crashers made him a star. He had the look, the presence, the potential. But according to casting director Ellie Kanner, something just didn’t click. Not like it did with Matt LeBlanc.
Looking back, it’s hard to imagine anyone else saying “How you doin’?” with that perfect mix of charm and cluelessness. LeBlanc was Joey — the lovable, loyal, slightly dim best friend we all rooted for. His chemistry with Matthew Perry’s Chandler gave us one of the best bromances in TV history.
Even when the spinoff Joey flopped, it couldn’t dull the magic LeBlanc brought to the role. From a busted nose to sitcom legend, his journey proves one thing: sometimes, the messy, unplanned moments are the ones that change everything.
