Matt Friend

American stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor and impressionist.
Matt Friend
Birth nameMatthew Friend
Born (1998-06-24) June 24, 1998 (age 26)
New York City, New York
MediumStand-up, television
NationalityAmerican
Alma materNYU Gallatin School
Years active2018–present
GenresImpersonations, character comedy
Websitehttps://www.mattfriend.com/

Matthew Jonas Friend[1] (born June 24, 1998) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, commentator, voice actor and impressionist.

Early life

Friend grew up in Chicago and took acting classes at The Second City as a kid. He is Jewish.[2] For college, he originally attended Tufts University (like his father, who was roommates with Hank Azaria during his time there), but later transferred to NYU, partially because he wanted to be in New York City to further his comedy career. [3] Friend cited Mike Myers, Don Rickles, Rich Little and Johnny Carson as notable influences.[4]

Career

While at NYU Gallatin, Friend was a production intern at “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”.[5] In 2023, Friend's impressions began to garner significant social media attention. He began performing these impressions both on live television and for audiences on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.[6][7] John Stamos discovered him on TikTok early in the pandemic and has been a mentor/advocate for his career.

United Talent Agency

In March 2023, Friend signed with talent agency UTA.[8][9]

Performed at White House Correspondents Dinner on April 27, 2024

References

  1. ^ "2020 Graduates, NYU Gallatin". NYU Gallatin School. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  2. ^ Matt Friend (2023-12-02). CNN host SHOCKED by spot on Trump, McConnell, & George Santos impressions | Comedian Matt Friend. Retrieved 2024-07-18 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ https://nyunews.com/uta/nyu-up-and-comers-2019/matthew-friend-never-himself-comedian-impressionist-snl-hopeful/
  4. ^ "First impressions: stand-up comedian and voice-over artist Matt Friend sounds off - Philadelphia Weekly". 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  5. ^ https://nyunews.com/uta/nyu-up-and-comers-2019/matthew-friend-never-himself-comedian-impressionist-snl-hopeful/
  6. ^ "Comedian Matt Friend shows off impressions, talks DC show". Yahoo News. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  7. ^ "Matt Friend Does Six Random Celebrity Impressions". NBC Chicago. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  8. ^ "Comedian Matt Friend Signs With UTA (Exclusive)". Yahoo Finance. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  9. ^ Vlessing, Etan (2023-03-23). "Comedian Matt Friend Signs With UTA (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  • Matt Friend at IMDb