Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), the actor amongst the Friends gang, certainly had a few intriguing roles over the course of 10 seasons. And with some solid acting techniques up his sleeve, why wouldn’t he? Having tricks for nailing every emotion on screen, he is a natural thespian. Of course, in true Joey fashion, they are pretty bizarre. He has the “smell the fart” acting for looking intense as he tries to remember his lines, the tweezers pull to get the tears flowing, and, for when he has to look particularly perplexed, he simply does long division in his head. But these oddly accurate tips and tricks have helped him become a soap opera star, as well as hit the (not so) big stages of New York’s theater scene.
So, without further ado, let’s look back at some of his most prominent acting gigs on the series.
"What Mario Isn't Telling You"
Starting out small, this is one that he may have preferred to forget. As a campaign to raise awareness for VD, Joey’s face is printed all over New York City. Or, we should say Mario’s face. With the tagline for the poster being “What Mario Isn’t Telling You,” it certainly puts a dent in his dating life, especially when trying to chat a woman up right in front of it (unbeknownst to him, of course). But it not only wreaks havoc in his dating life, as even his family are put off and ban him from Thanksgiving dinner. It seems unconditional love is not a thing in the Tribbiani household.
Days of Our Lives
Playing Dr. Drake Ramoray on popular soap opera, Days of Our Lives, is, by far, Joey's biggest role throughout the series. This neurosurgeon character has many plot lines for Joey to sink his teeth into. And they gain him more than a few fans along the way. But his most noteworthy fan is Erika (Brooke Shields). Believing Joey actually is Drake, this makes for some interesting scenarios between the two. Especially when the man at the next table starts choking, and she volunteers the services of “the best doctor in all of Salem.” Unfortunately, this role wasn’t meant to last for Joey when he gets the depressing news that his character is soon to be in a coma. And by falling down an elevator shaft of all things.
Freud!
Putting Sigmund Freud’s famed theories into musical numbers in this off-Broadway show was one of Joey’s first acting gigs way back in Season 1. As Rachel’s (Jennifer Aniston) excitement grows over finally seeing her friend on stage, Chandler (Matthew Perry) quips how easy it is to spot a novice to Joey’s acting career - most notably “no fear” or “sense of impending doom.” However, despite the car crash that is the show, an agent spots him and makes him an offer he can’t refuse — playing Al Pacino’s butt double to be precise.
Al Pacino’s Butt Double
After the disaster that was Freud! Joey gets the exciting news he has got a part in the new Al Pacino movie. As he tells the gang the news, they eagerly anticipate hearing about the role. Needless to say, the second they find out it is Pacino’s butt double, the jokes come in thick and fast. But that doesn’t stop Joey from giving it all he’s got. Lathering up with Monica’s (Courteney Cox) moisturizer, he goes into the shower scene with all guns blazing. Unfortunately, this was his downfall, and he ends up getting fired for “acting too much with it.”
The Milk Master 2000 Infomercial
As a struggling actor in New York City, Joey has had to take a sizable number of fillers in between his starring roles. One such filler is The Milk Master 2000 infomercial. Do you ever find that milk is just so “flingin’ flangin’ hard to open?” Well, Joey’s character, Kevin, certainly does. Although this Amazing Discoveries spoof has the Friends gang poking fun at Joey, it does manage to get Rachel purchasing the handy milk carton opener, so, it seems like Joey may have gotten the last laugh there.
Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E.
If ever a box set is needed for one of Joey’s roles it would be this one. Spending hours watching Joey as detective Mac Machiavelli with sidekick robot C.H.E.E.S.E finding out things like “cheerleaders and high explosives don’t mix” sounds like the perfect lazy Sunday viewing. Although solving crimes and having a good amount of detective banter was unfortunately not enough to save this one from getting canceled in its first season. But it turns out the word canceled doesn’t quite mean the same in Joey’s world. He responds to this by saying “see you Monday,” only to be shocked it means they’re not even shooting it anymore.
Over There, Private Tony
This World War I epic sees Joey starring alongside Oscar winning actor (or so Joey thought) Richard Crosby (Gary Oldman). However, his excitement soon turns sour when he realizes his idol has an interesting acting technique. Taking to spitting to enunciate his words, Crosby tells Joey “Enunciation is the mark of a good actor.” And what follows is essentially a spitting match between the two. However, while this is one of Joey’s most important roles, its timing couldn’t be worse. With shooting taking place at the very moment he should be officiating Monica and Chandler’s wedding, he is forced into lying to an inebriated Crosby that filming has finished for the day.
Ichiban! Lipstick for Men Commercial
Joey sporting bright blue lipstick, donning a guitar, and spouting Japanese words definitely sounds like marketing genius. However, this Japanese commercial for men’s lipstick is one that he’s not quite so proud of. But when it could land him a commercial in the U.S., he gives Chandler the tape to pass along to his boss. When he suspects Chandler is lying about having watched and passed on the tape, he reluctantly shows the commercial to him. After being found out that he was lying, Joey thinks of the perfect punishment, which sees Chandler turning up to Central Perk with Ichiban painted on his lips.
Boxing Day
After his Days of Our Lives glory ends, Joey lands the part in an off-Broadway play, Boxing Day. With only snippets to go by, this mish mash of storylines seems to start as a simple love story, but by the end, sees Joey’s character, Victor, saying goodbye and boarding a spaceship in search of alternative fuels. Although the play unsurprisingly received bad reviews, this acting role sees Joey developing real feelings for his co-star, Kate (Dina Meyer). But when she gets a job in another city, he must complete the dramatic ending with Kate’s understudy. Perhaps his tweezers technique may not be needed for this sad goodbye.