Joey Tribbiani
A lovable actor with a big heart, an even bigger appetite, and the famous catchphrase 'How you doin'?'
Joseph Francis Tribbiani Jr. 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, and hangs out in a tight-knit group of his best friends: Chandler, Ross Geller, Monica Geller, Rachel Green, and Phoebe Buffay.
He lived with a few other roommates when Chandler moved out to move in with Monica. Joey once mentioned being 13 in 1981. He is from Queens, New York and is Catholic. Joey comes from a working-class Italian-American family of eight children, of which he is the only boy.
His father Joseph Tribbiani Sr. is a pipefitter, and his mother's name is Gloria. Joey has seven sisters: Mary Therese a.k.a. Mary Teresa, Mary Angela, Dina, Gina, Tina, Veronica, and Cookie. As a child, he was extremely accident-prone. In "The One with Ross' New Girlfriend", it was implied that he was sexually abused by his tailor but did not realize it until Chandler went to the same tailor.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Friends; Joey
- First major
- Friends
- First minor
- The Pilot
- First date
- September 22, 1994
- Last major
- Joey
- Last minor
- Joey and the Wedding
- Last date
- August 23, 2006
- Creator
- David Crane
- Marta Kauffman
- Kevin S. Bright
Lore & Background
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 did not intend his character to be stupid, but Matt LeBlanc played "dim-witted" so well that it became a part of the character. 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 Monica and Chandler's wedding, and also Phoebe and Mike's wedding in Season 10. 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.
Reader's Guide
Joey Tribbiani is the quintessential lovable simpleton whose journey from struggling actor to successful star forms a central pillar of the series. His role is primarily comedic relief, yet his arc reveals significant depth as he navigates self-worth and ambition. His defining skill is natural charisma; he can captivate an audience without needing complex dialogue or deep intellectual understanding. This talent eventually leads him to land the role of Dr. Drake Ramoray on a popular soap opera, marking a major turning point in his career. Defining moments include his realization that friendship outweighs romantic obsession, his famous 'piano' scene where he plays with pure joy, and his eventual departure from New York to pursue a life-changing acting opportunity in California.
Did You Know?
- Joey's first major role was as Dr. Drake Ramoray on the soap opera Days of Our Lives, a role he lost after claiming he wrote his own lines in an interview with Soap Opera Digest.
- Joey appeared as a fully clothed extra in a porn film sometime before the start of the series.
More in Characters & Cast
Elsewhere in Friends
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced