Joey Tribbiani | |
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Friends / Joey character | |
![]() Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani | |
First appearance | Friends: "The Pilot" (1994) |
Last appearance | Joey: "Joey and the Wedding" (2006) |
Created by | David Crane Marta Kauffman Kevin S. Bright |
Portrayed by | Matt LeBlanc |
In-universe information | |
Alias | Ken Adams, Holden McGroin |
Occupation | Actor Cologne sampler (seasons 1–2) Entry-level processor (season 2) Acting teacher (season 3) Christmas tree salesman (season 3) Museum tour guide (season 4) Waiter (season 4) Barista (season 6) |
Affiliation | Screen Actors Guild (SAG) |
Family | Gloria Tribbiani (mother) Joseph Tribbiani Sr. (father) Gina Tribbiani (sister) Dina Tribbiani (sister) Mary Angela Tribbiani (sister) Mary Therese Tribbiani (sister) Veronica Tribbiani (sister) Cookie Tribbiani (sister) Tina Tribbiani (sister) |
Significant others | Angela Delvecchio (ex-girlfriend) Kate (ex-girlfriend) Kathy (ex-girlfriend) Janine (ex-girlfriend) Erin (ex-girlfriend) Rachel Green (ex-girlfriend) Alex Garrett (girlfriend) |
Relatives | Michael Tribbiani (nephew) Nonna (grandmother) Nonnie (grandmother) |
Religion | Catholicism |
Nationality | Italian-American |
Joseph Francis Tribbiani Jr. (born 1968)[1] is a fictional character, serving as one of the primary characters of the NBC sitcom Friends and the protagonist of its spin-off Joey. He is portrayed by Matt LeBlanc in both series.
Joey is an Italian-American struggling actor who lives in New York City with his roommate and best friend, Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), and hangs out in a tight-knit group of his best friends: Chandler, Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), and Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow). He lived with a few other roommates when Chandler moved out to move in with Monica.
Joey once mentioned being 13 in 1981.[2] He is from Queens, New York and is Catholic.[3] Joey comes from a working-class Italian-American family of eight children, of which he is the only boy. His father Joseph Tribbiani Sr. (Robert Costanzo), is a pipefitter, and his mother's name is Gloria (Brenda Vaccaro). Joey has seven sisters: Mary Therese (Mimi Lieber on Friends) a.k.a. Mary Teresa (Christina Ricci on Joey), Mary Angela (Holly Gagnier), Dina (Lisa Melilli in The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister, Marla Sokoloff in The One With Monica's Boots), Gina (K.J. Steinberg on Friends, Drea de Matteo on Joey), Tina (Lisa Maris),[4] Veronica (Dena Miceli),[4] and Cookie (Alex Meneses). As a child, he was extremely accident-prone.[5] In "The One with Ross' New Girlfriend", it was implied that he was sexually abused by his tailor but didn't realize it until Chandler went to the same tailor.
Joey is portrayed as promiscuous and dim-witted but good-natured, as well as very loyal, caring, and protective of his friends. The writers of Friends didn't intend on his character to be stupid but Matt Leblanc played "dim-witted" so well that it became a part of the character.[6] He is a food-loving womanizer who has had more luck with dates than any of the other group members. In contrast to his persona as the "ladies' man", he has also a marked childish side. He enjoys playing video games and foosball, loves sandwiches and pizza, and is a big fan of Baywatch and Beavis and Butt-Head. As a struggling actor, he is constantly looking for work. He was ordained as a minister in "The One with the Truth About London" and officiated at both Monica and Chandler's and Phoebe and Mike's weddings.
He does not like sharing food, especially when it is pizza, and has difficulty with even simple mathematics. In sports, Joey likes the New York Yankees in baseball, New York Knicks in basketball, New York Giants in football, and the New York Rangers in hockey.