Matt LeBlanc sparked a wave of hilarious memes this weekend—and he didn't even need Joey Tribbiani to help him.
The Friends star found himself at the eye of an Internet storm following his appearance on the HBO Max show reunion on Friday, after fans in Ireland assigned him the unlikely character role of a stereotypical Irish dad.
The highly anticipated special, aptly named The One Where They Get Back Together, saw the iconic cast reconvene for an evening of laughter, games, and nostalgia in celebration of the popular sitcom's 25th anniversary. Along with its beloved OG sextet, the episode featured an impressive lineup of guest stars, including David Beckham, Justin Bieber, and Christina Pickles, as well as a stellar rendition by Lady Gaga of Phoebe Buffay's hilarious Smelly Cat song. The show also reopened the famous Ross and Rachel romantic debacle, with both Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer admitting they had feelings for each other during filming.
But for some Friends fans, the highlight of the reunion came from a surprising source—a very relaxed-looking Matt LeBlanc. Viewers in Ireland couldn't help but notice an uncanny resemblance between the American actor and a stereotypical Irish family man throughout the episode, and they were quick to share their sharp observations with the Internet.
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In one still image from the reunion, Matt is wearing a grey and black striped shirt with denim jeans and folding his arms with a satisfied smile on his face. The candid shot has since gone viral on Twitter, with many Irish fans joking about the comedian's similarity to their fathers and uncles at family gatherings.
Irish Twitter has just adopted Matt LeBlanc for giving off every Irish uncle energy 😂 pic.twitter.com/qAJzE7930ZMay 29, 2021
Matt Le Blanc is giving me Irish dad's at family events vibes 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/M9Yqb4UTJLMay 29, 2021
matt leblanc is your uncle when your parents forced your 6 year old self to stand up in front of the adults after a family dinner and sing a song you just learned in primary school pic.twitter.com/xjlwKDdArvMay 29, 2021
The Twitter trend even garnered attraction from Irish comedian Dara Ó'Briain, who stepped in to offer some native insight for baffled onlookers.
The rest of the world should know that for the last 24 hours Irish Twitter has become OBSESSSED with how much Matt Le Blanc looks like everyone’s uncle/cousin. Read this thread to get the full sense of it. Or don’t; because you won’t understand the half of it. https://t.co/Yu5XtxMhmCMay 29, 2021
Matt has yet to respond to the comparisons, but somehow we doubt he's taken much offence to it. The Friends star is currently dating Irish documentary filmmaker Aurora Mulligan, who we're sure will clear up any confusion he may have over the witty parallels.
Who knows, an Irish dad might be next on the accomplished actor's upcoming roles—right after he completes some intensive accent lessons, of course.
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