We nearly lived in a world where Matt LeBlanc starred on Modern Family. How you doin’, Claire Dunphy?
Chatting with USA Today, the former Friend and surprise Top Gear guy revealed that he was offered the role of lovable doofy dad Phil Dunphy on ABC’s lil’ award show magnet. LeBlanc says he had to pass on the project because it wasn’t the right fit.
“I remember reading it thinking, this is a really good script, (but) I’m not the guy for this,” recalls LeBlanc. “I’d be doing the project an injustice to take this. I know what I can do, I know what I can’t do. Plus, I’m having too much fun laying on the couch.”
The role went to Ty Burrell (who was perfect for the job) and we wouldn’t really see LeBlanc on TV again until Episodes. This is your annual reminder that Episodes is an actual television series that exists for reasons that presumably exist beyond having everyone at your Golden Globes party go “wait, is that still a thing?” (It’s not a popular show is what I’m getting at.)
Speaking of LeBlanc and sitcoms, he feels like he’s found his own fit with the none-more-CBS Man With a Plan. He told USA Today that he’d like the series to return to the network’s schedule sooner rather than later.
Episodes was “about three months’ work every 18 months. I had gone from doing nothing and was ready to go back to work. But it wasn’t enough. I read a bunch of scripts that were out there that were (about) recently divorced dads, back on the dating scene. And I thought, ‘That’s a situation where the kids would be pawns in a dating environment. What about a guy who’s married and has kids?’ The concept I had in mind was Everybody Loves Raymond meets Mad About You. It’s not so much about the kids. It’s an adult show, it’s about parenting for parents.” But he’s not pleased with CBS for benching it from the fall lineup: “What about the audience we built? I want to be a team player, but I feel like the network doesn’t have my back.”
Meanwhile, we all wait patiently for the inevitable Joey reboot on Amazon or Netfllx.
(Via USA Today)
