Milton Keynes, December 11, 2023 – An actor preparing too bring the iconic Joey Tribbiani to life on stage in a Friends musical parody hadn’t actually *seen* friends until he landed the role.
A Familiar Face, A Late Discovery
Ronnie burden, 28, discovered the beloved sitcom only after being cast as Joey.
- Ronnie Burden grew up in Luton being told he resembled Matt LeBlanc’s character.
- His grandfather frequently greeted him with Joey’s signature line, “How *you* doin’?”
- Burden initially felt the weight of expectation portraying such an iconic character.
- A TikTok video of the cast’s curtain call went viral, generating positive feedback.
Growing up in Luton, Burden was often playfully compared to Matt LeBlanc’s character by his family, who would frequently echo Joey’s famous catchphrase. “My granddad Alan always used to look at me and go ‘hey, how you doin’?'” he recalled.
What’s surprising is that despite the family resemblance and constant references, Burden hadn’t fully immersed himself in the world of Friends until he secured the part. “I auditioned,and it took about three months to actually get the role,” Burden explained. “And when I got it, I watched Friends, and I watched Joey, and I went: ‘Okay, I get it now.'”
Finding the joey Within
Burden now realizes he shares some common ground with the character he portrays. “Like Joey, I’m an actor chasing auditions and a ‘class clown’,” he said. The accent, surprisingly, wasn’t a challenge. Despite now residing in kempston, Bedfordshire, the Italian-American inflection came naturally.
“So from a k
Helen Mulroy/BBCAt the stage door after performances, Burden connects with excited fans eager to share their affection for the show and its characters.
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