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 creates short-form video content on social media and has appeared on news shows and at red carpet events.[2]
Friend is 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, among others.[3]
His stand-up performances combine impersonations, observational humour and crowd work.[4]
Early life
Friend grew up in Chicago, Illinois and attended the Francis W. Parker School, taking acting classes at The Second City as a kid. He is Jewish.[5] He originally attended Tufts University (like his father, who was roommates with Hank Azaria there), subsequently transferring to New York University, partially because he wanted to be in that city to further his 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 |
References
- ^ “2020 Graduates, NYU Gallatin”. NYU Gallatin School. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
- ^ Foster, R. Daniel. “Billionaire Ankur Jain And Comic Matt Friend Target The Comedy Market”. Forbes. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
- ^ “Matt Friend Gives the Right Impression”. Chicago Magazine. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
- ^ Esposito, Stefano (2025-03-05). “Comedian Matt Friend, from Lincoln Park, opens mouth and impressions pour out”. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
- ^ 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.
- ^ “Matthew Friend | Never Himself”. 14 March 2019.
- ^ “First impressions: stand-up comedian and voice-over artist Matt Friend sounds off – Philadelphia Weekly”. 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ “Matthew Friend | Never Himself”. 14 March 2019.
- ^ “Comedian Matt Friend shows off impressions, talks DC show”. Yahoo News. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ “Matt Friend Does Six Random Celebrity Impressions”. NBC Chicago. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/world/asia/chinese-trump-impersonator.html#selection-695.127-695.142
- ^ “Comedian Matt Friend Signs With UTA (Exclusive)”. Yahoo Finance. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (2023-03-23). “Comedian Matt Friend Signs With UTA (Exclusive)”. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
External links
- Matt Friend at IMDb