It's strange when you meet someone who you feel has been a part of your home on a daily basis whilst growing up.  Matt LeBlanc was of course not living with me in some hut in Norway, but Joey (from 'Friends') did use to pop by on a regular basis to provide us with the evening entertainment.

The strange thing is not meeting Joey, but meeting Matt instead of Joey.  So many years of watching Friends has left me with a certain expectation of whom I am suppose to be meeting when I wait for Matt LeBlanc to turn up.  I know - I have been doing this job for too long to fall for that one - but Matt LeBlanc is different.  Maybe because he was a part of my younger years made Joey seem more 'real'.

It was not with disappointment I met the real Matt LeBlanc, but I was expecting a considerably louder man, a little cocky, a man with lots of big gestures, uttering the occasional "Heyyyyyy!".  I was pleasantly surprised by the softly spoken, modest and gentle man that was in front of my camera.  'Just a regular dude' - is probably the best way of describing him.

The new series, Matt LeBlanc playing Matt LeBlanc seems to be perfect for Matt.  Not because we discover the Matt that I met on the shoot but because it nurtures our pre conceptions of who we think Matt LeBlanc is and allows him to play what we expect of him.  It's kind of a perfect scenario.

 So, whilst we all become even more certain that this Matt LeBlanc is as much like Joey as we all expect him to be by watching Matt LeBlanc playing 'Mat LeBlanc' - I am happy to leave this shoot behind me knowing that I saw a gentler side of Mr LeBlanc.