See Why Austin Butler, Howard Stern and More Stars Are Amazed By Comedian's Spot-On Celebrity Impressions
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Matt Friend, whose repertoire spans more than 250 impressions, tells PEOPLE about getting Hollywood's attention, how his comedy began at age 4 and where it's heading 20 years later
What are the chances you're walking down the street and randomly run into stars like Andy Cohen, Rami Malek, David Letterman and other A-listers on a near daily basis? For Matt Friend, the chances are apparently very high.
Friend, 24, is a Chicago native-turned New Yorker, who's been taking the social media world by storm with celebrity impressions that are perfectly executed in seconds-long videos shared on his Instagram and TikTok accounts.
The zinger? Many of those clips don't only feature Friend. The stars he impersonates so well often make cameos, thanks to what the comedian says are "completely random" run-ins on the busy streets of N.Y.C.
But his impressions of celebrities in front of celebrities aren't the only ones that have caught the eyes of his one million-and-growing social media followers, as his various voices — ranging from Donald Trump to the cast of The White Lotus (yes, including Jennifer Coolidge) — have turned the heads of fans and A-listers alike.
Howard Stern notably praised Friend back in October and gave his approval of the young comedian's "spot-on" impression of the radio legend. "Matt's got something going on, I have to say," Stern said on his eponymous show. "I've never really been impressed with anyone who did an impression of me, but Matt, I hear it."
Friend says his interaction with the "King of All Media" was "unbelievable" and opened up to PEOPLE exclusively about what it meant for Stern — who the comedian recognizes as "one of the best interviewers" — to positively acknowledge his talent.
"To me it feels like when Johnny Carson would have a young comedian on the show and he would wave them over to the desk, which meant a sign of approval. That's what it feels like for me to have this total icon and entertainment titan be so receptive," Friend tells PEOPLE of Stern's praise.
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Austin Butler recently applauded Friend on the red carpet at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards for his impression of the Elvis star as the "King of Rock and Roll" in Baz Luhrmann's film. The actor even embraced Friend's rendition of the late singer's "If I Can Dream."
Butler was not only "impressed" by Friend's impression, but was aware of his work, citing and complimenting him on his Rami Malek impersonation. Though appreciative, the Hollywood recognition is just a fraction of what the comedian strives to accomplish in his blossoming career.
"Perspective is important. I'm extremely hungry and there's a lot of things I want to do," says Friend, who first learned he could do impressions at 4 years old, specifically after watching Mike Myer's characters in Austin Powers.
Friend — who randomly slips into Trump's voice, among others throughout his interview with PEOPLE — "would start doing impressions of my teachers and then my grandparents," he says. "I loved watching Johnny Carson, Don Rickles ... and all these old comedians. Then somehow, I just started to talk like a lot of these people."
"My sister recently called me a glorified parrot," he adds.
From then on, the New York University grad has been on the grind ever since. Between landing internships at The Tonight Show (where he'd "sneak impressions in" while on coffee runs because he "had to get it out of his system") and nabbing gigs on Family Guy and The Simpsons, Friend — who recently signed with United Talent Agency in March, per The Hollywood Reporter — says "it's all just building."
In fact, he's "definitely nowhere close to where I want to be or what I envision yet," he tells PEOPLE. For a hustler like Friend — who humbly admits, "I have a lot of work left to do" — "the dream has changed," regarding his future goals as an entertainer.
But for the dreams he's managed to turn into reality, there have been several "full-circle" moments for the then-college student who didn't land an internship at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2019, but has been invited to do voices for segments on the show three years later.
Friend, who's also appeared on Today and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, isn't only seeking TV work, but also has his sights set on film and continuing to tour. "I'm just focused on what I can control and working towards creating my career," he says.
It'd be remiss not ask if Saturday Night Live is on his radar, especially given his former Instagram handle: @matturdaynightlive. "I'm writing, I'm performing, I'm doing my voiceover, my standup," he replies to the SNL inquiry, "And if that happens, that'll be amazing."
The impressionist adds (this time, in his own voice), "I just got to keep doing my thing."
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