Friends celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2024 but, no matter how much time has passed, it remains one of the best sitcoms of all time. That's partly because of the show's lovably relatable characters and hilarious characters. There have been more than a few ridiculous episodes of Friends, and a handful of its wildest moments come courtesy of Matt LeBlanc’s Joey Tribbiani. And, as it turns out, Joey was actually inspired by a character from Blossom.
Four years before Friends premiered on NBC, the teen sitcom Blossom made its debut on the channel. Starring Mayim Bialik as the titular teen, the '90s network TV show lasted for a few seasons. The show actually ended not long after Friends debuted but, by that point, the series had made an impact, especially on LeBlanc. Joey Lawrence, who played Blossom’s older brother, Joey Russo, revealed to Us Weekly that LeBlanc would watch Blossom rehearsals and take notes on Lawrence’s portrayal:
He used to sit up in the stands, you know, [and] watch our rehearsals and stuff for weeks to sort of just see it — see how I was playing Joey Russo.
A shared first name isn’t all that the two sitcom characters have in common. Both Joeys also aren't exactly the brightest within their groups of friends. They're also both known to be popular with the ladies, and they have specific catchphrases. Of course, the two Joeys aren't exactly the same, as they’re different ages and have different passions.
Still, the knowledge of Matt LeBlanc sitting in on tapings makes total sense, considering how similar his character is to Joey Lawrence's. I'd say that LeBlanc was smart to watch how Russo was performed, as Joey Tribbiani is arguably one of the best parts of Friends. During his interview, Lawrence went on to explain his approach to Russo and how it differs from LeBlanc's situation with Tribbiani:
The reason why [I played the character like] that is because they wanted a 25-year-old version, right? And I was only 15 at the time … Matt’s a lot older than me, but that’s what they did. And they had that character on the show [Friends], I feel like, to be sort of girl crazy, or woman crazy, for Joey Tribbiani. But it was girl crazy for Joey Russo, you know? I mean, you have to be very innocent with that — it can’t be a lecherous thing. I mean, [LeBlanc] went on and did amazing things with it, obviously, [and] won Emmys. I never won an Emmy.
It’s not unusual for an actor to take inspiration from something when fleshing out a character. As a fan, I loving learning the story behind Joey Tribbiani’s origins, and I think it serves a sweet piece of connective tissue between two fun shows. It's crazy to think that Friends' Joey may not have been played the way he was if not for Blossom's Joey. Of course, LeBlanc is a talented actor, and there's a firm chance he may have landed on a way to play his character without having seen the aforementioned teen sitcom.
Blossom also remains a favorite among fans to this day, so much so that the series very nearly got a reboot. A possible comeback for the series was discussed for a while, but it was canceled before seeing the light of day. Whether or not the project could be revived in some form is unknown but, in this era of reboots and revivals, I wouldn't be surprised if someone takes steps to jump over corporate tape to make it happen.
When it comes to the two Joeys, though, fans may have their favorites, but both Joey Lawrence and Matt LeBlanc both carved out their places in TV history. Anyone looking to watch Friends should grab an HBO Max subscription and stream it. Moving forward, I'm personally not sure I'll be able to watch Tribbiani without thinking about Russo.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
