Unexpected Actor Modern Family Could’ve Shared With Friends

It's no wonder that all of the Friends cast members had plenty of opportunities right after the show ended.

Considering the success of the show and the millions of dollars the main cast had made over the years working on the show, just about every door was open to them. But not every opportunity was worth taking.

Matt LeBlanc, who portrayed Joey Tribbiani on Friends, was always very particular about his character and what he was willing to portray.

Thanks to him, Joey became the person we as an audience came to love. It would be fair to say that the actor has never lowered his standards for other projects and other roles.

Not only did the character and the story have to be well written, but he also had to be a good fit for the role. And not always did these two criteria go hand in hand.

Back in 2009, LeBlanc was offered a role in what would become a widely popular sitcom, Modern Family. Specifically, the actor was chosen to play Phil Dunphy.

However, he turned down the role.

“I remember reading it thinking, this is a really good script, (but) I’m not the guy for this. I’d be doing the project an injustice to take this. I know what I can do, I know what I can’t do. Plus, I’m having too much fun laying on the couch,” the actor explained to USA TODAY.

After the sequel of Friends, Joey, where the actor continued to play his role of Joey Tribbiani, ended in 2006, LeBlanc took a break from his acting career. It seems that Modern Family didn't have enough to offer for the actor to finish this break.

Fortunately, it all ended well as Ty Burrell, who was the first choice of the producers, got the role of Phil Dunphy and gave him a perfect introduction to the ABC audience.

If you want to catch up on Modern Family, you can stream the sitcom on Hulu, Peacock TV, or Disney Plus.

Source: USA TODAY