As Joey on "Friends," Matt LeBlanc projected an easy charm and doofus-y demeanor (is doofus-y a word? it should be!) that has stayed with him in the years since that juggernaut went off the air. Now, in a 2-minute "Episodes" teaser directed by Paul Fuentes, we get to see another side of Matt.
Playing himself - auditioning to play himself - LeBlanc shows a maturity and a strong acting presence that's been earning him accolades from fans and critics alike. The online video, a teaser created by SHOWTIME for screening by the TV Critics Association, offers a look at "Episodes," a new show from TV vets David Crane (Friends) and Jeffrey Klarik (Mad About You).
"Matt was so natural and directable, he could bring the mood up or down as needed, and I asked him if he considered doing dramatic work," says Fuentes, an established commercial director whose helmed promos for numerous other SHOWTIME productions (Weeds, The Tudors). "The docustyle nature and tone of this really shows him in a leading man light."
Fuentes may also have discovered a new talent on set, in the person of LeBlanc's agent, Adam Isaacs (WME). "Any time you have someone who is not an actor playing themselves, you hold your breath," Fuentes laughs. "But from the minute we rolled, he was f&*%^in fabulous. I couldn’t have cast anyone better."
Fuentes says LeBlanc is modest about his dramatic talent, but the director is confident the potential is there. "Look, he was in a hit show for ten years and his experience in front of the camera shows no matter what he does, but every now and then you see an actor who can be funny and dangerous, and Matt's one of those guys."
Of the promo's popularity on the Web, says Tom Mooney, who reps Fuentes for spots via Moon Media, "the Web gives you what TV doesn't, it allows you to pull the content you want, and in this case it's Matt LeBlanc!" Mooney actually worked with LeBlanc during the "Friends" era, exec producing the ongoing, EMMY-winning "The More You Know Campaign" for NBC. "He was a great guy then, and extremely funny," Mooney recalls, "and now he's grown into an actor who can take two minutes onscreen and show you something new."
"Episodes" is set to debut on SHOWTIME and BBC2 in May. Paul is available now.
What we know about Paul: You can read the official Paul Fuentes bio for the full story (good stuff), but in short, he's an incredibly creative and accomplished director with award-winning credits in commercials and TV, spanning high-profile brands (Visa, SONY, Microsoft...), networks (HBO, SHOWTIME, CBS...), and celebrities (Peyton Manning, Paul Newman, Cypress Hill...). He is available for spot projects via Moon Media.
What we know about the show: A successful British husband-and-wife comedy team are lured by Hollywood to produce a new version of their hit series for the US, only to find that the American execs' plans include replacing the erudite British lead with Matt LeBlanc.
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