Matt LeBlanc Told His Agent “Please Lose My Number For A Few Years” After Joey Ended, a Stretch That Included Burnout and Years as a Hands-On Dad After His Daughter’s Earlier Serious Diagnosis
· Thought Catalog
Updated 3 minutes ago, September 7, 2026
His daughter Marina had seizures as a baby and was diagnosed with cortical dysplasia. LeBlanc kept working through that period and finished Joey, canceled in 2006. He then stepped away from Hollywood for several years to recover from burnout and spend time with her.
Marina began having seizures around 8 months old and was diagnosed with cortical dysplasia in early 2005. Her dad kept working through the diagnosis and finished Joey, canceled in 2006 after 12 years of playing Joey Tribbiani across Friends and the spin-off.
By then her symptoms had improved substantially. Burned out and going through big changes at home, he spent much of the next five years as a father, taking Marina to school and spending days with her at his California ranch.
He returned with Episodes in 2011 and won a Golden Globe for the role the following year.
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