Who is Matt Friend? Details explored as comedian gets real about political comedy and next projects

Matt Friend is a young comedian and impressionist. He does mimicry of well-known figures and has become famous for doing voice-overs of politicians and stars. Now, at 27, he is expanding his career in new and fun ways.

Friend is collaborating with Bilt Rewards, a lifestyle loyalty program for renters. The show brings together local comedians and famous names in the industry. At the same time, he is also embarking on a personal comedy tour and is preparing to film his comedy special. Having met mentors and stars, Friend aims even higher, at landing roles in films, hosting gigs, and potentially even late-night shows.

Matt Friend's comedy, impressions, and Bilt Neighborhood Comedy

Matt Friend is best known for his voice work. He does spot-on impressions of politicians and actors. These include Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, Mitch McConnell, Jeff Goldblum, Howard Stern, Timothée Chalamet, and Austin Butler. His Trump impression, in particular, is quite popular, which is one of his most requested and widely viewed online.

Two major events shaped Friend's career and gave him mainstream recognition. In April 2024, he performed at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. There, he did his Trump impression and delivered jokes about South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, with the latter drawing a mix of laughs and gasps.

Matt Friend also hosted the 2024 NHL Awards, which went on to deliver its highest ratings in recent history. However, he is not stopping at impressions. Friend is doing stand-up, too, and is on a tour around the US, wth plans to film his first comedy special. He also hosts a podcast, Friend in High Places, which features well-known guests like Bill Maher and Michael Cohen.

Bilt series and new comedy moves

Matt Friend joined Bilt Rewards late in 2024 and was appointed the director of “Neighborhood Experience, Comedy”. The goal was to curate fun and high-energy shows in places that are not the usual comedy clubs. They did shows in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. The first event under this banner was held at Lucali, a popular pizza spot in Brooklyn, in December 2024.

Speaking to PEOPLE, Matt Friend said he wants to change how people go to comedy shows. According to him, traditional comedy shows have drinks, so-so food, and routine acts. However, he explained his vision for Bilt's Neighbourhood Comedy to have a party feel. The events are exclusive to Bilt members, offering small bites and complimentary drinks alongside premium comedy sets.

These shows bring local and well-known comics together. So far, they have had performances from Marcello Hernandez, Mark Normand, and Roy Wood Jr. According to Friend,

"every comedian is hitting me up trying to get on one of our shows."

He plans more events. The next ones happen on July 16 in Brooklyn and on July 23 in Chicago.

Mentors, goals, and where he is heading

Matt Friend is not navigating the industry alone. In his conversation with PEOPLE, he mentions having mentors among well-established stars. Two of them are John Stamos and Hank Azaria, whom he refers to as “father figures”. He has also been noticed by Liev Schreiber and Sebastian Maniscalco, who guide him as he grows in the comedy and acting businesses.

Friend's goal now is to take big steps. He wants to act in films, host big shows, and maybe be on a Netflix roast. He also wants to guest-host late-night TV. The comedian graduated from NYU Gallatin in 2020 and moved from Chicago to New York for schooling. He got into comedy early and also won Kenan Thompson’s comedy contest at Carolines on Broadway in 2019.

Matt Friend first became popular on social media in 2023. He did impressions and posted them on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram, which got him around 2 million followers. With bigger ambitions lined up for the future, he keeps making people laugh while builcarving his own space in comedy at the present.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback