Matt LeBlanc got asked if he was his ‘Friends’ alter-ego Joey Tribbiani’s dad by a new fan of the sitcom.
The 51-year-old actor – who played the role on the popular US series from the first episode in 1994 – was 15 years younger when the final episode aired in 2004, and since then the show has been repeated on TV and streaming services like Netflix and attracted a younger generation of viewers.
The former ‘Top Gear’ host has recalled how he made a run for it when a teenager thought he was the father of Joey.
During an appearance on ‘Live! with Kelly & Ryan’, he said: "It seems like every year there’s a new generation that watches it.
"I was walking down the street one day, this was a few years ago, this kid, he must have been 13, 14, he’s like, ‘Oh my god, you’re Joey’s dad!’
"And, my response was ‘Scram!’"
Matt previously admitted he doesn’t think a ‘Friends’ reunion would work because he’s too old.
In response to previous speculation that the programme was set to return to screens, he said: "I don’t think anybody wants to see Joey at his colonoscopy!"
Matt understands why fans of the sitcom are so desperate for a ‘Friends’ reunion, but he explained that the show’s humour belonged to a particular period in the characters’ lives.
He reflected: "I understand that people really want to see that reunion. But that show was about a finite period in these six characters lives, between 20 and 30."
Matt used an analogy to further explain his view.
He said: "I think it’s almost a case of, like, the book is better than the movie."
The actor added: "I think everyone’s imagination of what they [the characters] are doing is better."
Matt – who starred on the sitcom alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer – also suggested that at least one other cast member was reluctant to make a return.
He explained: "It’s not any one person. I think it’s better to just leave it."
Matt LeBlanc got asked if he was Joey Tribbiani’s dad
