Matt Friend
American stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, and impressionist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Matthew Jonas Friend[1] (born June 24, 1998) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, commentator, voice actor, and impressionist. Known for his ability to perform impressions of dozens of celebrity figures, Friend has garnered attention through creating short-form video content on social media and through his appearances on news shows and at red carpet events.[2]
Matt Friend | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 24, 1998 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Comedy career | |
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Medium | Stand-up, television |
| Genres | Impersonations, character comedy, Jewish culture, American culture, political comedy, current events, pop culture |
| Website | https://www.mattfriend.com/ |
Friend has been noted for his impressions of both political and entertainment figures, regularly impersonating Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Mitch McConnell, Jeff Goldblum, Howard Stern, Bill Maher, JD Vance, Stanley Tucci, and numerous others.[3]
His stand-up performances combine impersonations, observational humour and crowd work.[4]
Early life
Friend grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He attended the Francis W. Parker School and took acting classes at The Second City as a kid. He is Jewish.[5] For college, he originally attended Tufts University (like his father, who was roommates with Hank Azaria during his time there), but later transferred to New York University, partially because he wanted to be in that city to further his comedy career. [6] Friend cited Mike Myers, Don Rickles, Rich Little, and Johnny Carson as notable influences.[7]
Career
While at NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Friend was a production intern at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[8] 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.[9][10] John Stamos discovered him on TikTok early in the pandemic and has been a mentor/advocate for his career. In 2025, Ryan Chen (The Chinese Trump) cited him as an influence.[11]
In March 2023, Friend signed with the United Talent Agency.[12][13] A year later, he performed at the White House Correspondents' dinner in April 2024.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Good Burger 2 | Serious Waiter |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) | Mark Zuckerberg | Episode: "If This Is Reality, I'm Not Interested" |
| 2022 | A Very Cold War Christmas | Tucker Carlson, Mitch McConnell | TV short; voice |
| 2022–23 | The Simpsons | Jimmy Fallon, Baby Jeff Goldblum | 2 episodes; voice |
| 2024 | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | Donald Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Hunter Biden, Mitch McConnell | Episode: "Edward Norton" |
| 2024 | What If...? | The Grandmaster | Episode: "What If... Howard the Duck Got Hitched?"; voice |
| 2024–25 | Family Guy | Jeff Goldblum, Jared Fogle, Stanley Tucci, Howard Stern, Charles Dickens | 5 episodes; voice |