Mark Davis/PictureGroup via AP IMAGESDon't let Matt LeBlanc's new TV character name "Matt LeBlanc" fool you. On Showtime's new comedy series Episodes (airing Sunday), there is at least one difference between the actor and the role he's playing on television. And yes, it has to do with his, um, manhood...
Episodes—the new showbiz satire laffer from Friends cocreator David Crane—has a running gag that Matt LeBlanc is extremely well-endowed (and not afraid to show it). But in a surprising man-move, when I sat down with the real Matt, he was quick to shoot down any "larger than life" speculation. "I guess it's OK to point out that I am absolutely of human proportion, so fear not!" Matt says with a laugh, showing he doesn't take himself too seriously. Which is one of the reasons the show works.
When talking about preparing for the role of "Matt LeBlanc," Matt admits the idea of playing himself made him wary in the beginning. "I had reservations at first. But it's not a documentary, it's a scripted character," he insists. "Once I got my head around that, it became really fun to make fun of myself. I didn't mind being the brunt of the joke…if it's a good joke." And Episodes, according to Matt, has some of the "smartest dick jokes" around. Take that and run with it Showtime promo peeps! You're welcome!
After spending a smidge of time on a little show called Friends, LeBlanc admits that the lack of a live audience on Episodes threw him a bit at first. "It was my first day on set," Matt recalls. "I had this kind of speech, and I was conditioned to hold for the laugh, and you could hear crickets in the yard. We're outside, and I thought, 'Clearly I've forgotten how to do this.'"
So might any of his famous Friends come on the show? Check out the interview below for that, plus Matt's take on "Matt," the penis jokes and more...