You’ve probably heard Matt Friend’s voice without even knowing it. The 27-year-old comedian has garnered a reputation as TikTok’s premier celebrity impressionist, wowing A-listers with his spot-on impersonations of Jeff Goldblum, Stanley Tucci, Barack Obama, and Austin Butler, to name only a few. Throughout our FaceTime chat, he can’t help but slip into some of his best-known voices, even correctly identifying my own Midwest accent at one point. But Friend’s comedy extends far beyond his voice work, and the special he’s filming this year is about to make that clear.
“It’s new impressions, but it’s also new me,” Friend says of the upcoming release. “People have gotten to know me for one big thing, but this show will provide a whole new context. That’s what I’m most excited about. Of course, there are impressions, but there are a lot of other layers, observations on my generation in the political landscape, technology, dating in my 20s.”
The special, which Friend believes will debut in late 2026 or early 2027, is a culmination of his life’s work. Growing up in Chicago, Illinois, he recalls doing impressions ever since he learned to talk. “I was 4 years old and loved Austin Powers. I was doing Goldmember, Dr. Evil, Fat Bastard, all of the Mike Myers characters,” Friend says. “I became what my sister called a glorified parrot; I would mimic my teachers and my grandfather. I loved doing Family Guy voices, and also I devoured old talk shows, so I’d do Johnny Carson, Don Rickles, David Letterman.”
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Friend also became a voracious reader, especially when it came to his favorite topic: Old Hollywood. He recalls reading Frank Sinatra biographies in high school, a practice that helped inform the research needed to nail an impression. “You need to have substance behind what you’re saying; that makes it so much funnier. So I read a lot, I watch a lot of shows and movies, I’m very up-to-date on the news,” Friend says. “But this is also just who I am. I walk down the street as King Charles. I do a Rami Malek face when I look in the mirror. I’ll be sitting on the toilet and talk like Trump. I’m always doing voices.”
He started taking comedy seriously as a career option while in college at NYU. “I was going to comedy clubs multiple times a week performing alongside real headlining comedians, like Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno,” Friend says. “I was always infusing impressions early on because it was my way to really distinguish myself.”
But it wasn’t the stage where he first broke big — it was online. His impersonation videos began to blow up on social media in 2023, and he was quickly signed to a major talent agency. Friend now has nearly 4 million followers across his TikTok and Instagram accounts.
I want audiences to see my point of view without abandoning the impressions, because I love doing them.
The social success led to buzzy moments at the 2024 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, guest-starring on Family Guy, and hosting the Oscars red carpet. Most recently, Friend hosted SnapChat’s inaugural Snappys Awards, and released a short special on CNN. Now he’s ready for the next chapter.
Friend points to his upcoming film Grace Period as an example of where he’s headed. The rom-com, which also stars Ashley Greene and Seth Green, sees Friend “playing an actual character” rather than his usual celebrity impersonations. “So, that’s the next phase of my career,” Friend says. “I’m interested in doing more of that kind of work.”
He looks to Bill Hader and Jim Carrey as inspirations for parlaying impressions into wider comedic work. “You’ve got to find a way to distinguish yourself. I’d love to develop my own show; I want audiences to see my point of view without abandoning the impressions, because I love doing them and they’ll always be a part of my work,” Friend says. “At this stage, I’m actively trying to identify the right opportunities to showcase these other areas of my skill set.”
“I know that there’s more that I can do.”
Despite most fans knowing him for his celebrity impersonations, Friend doesn’t feel “pigeonholed” by people who see him only as an impressions guy. “Of course, there are some social media comments that can bother you if you really let them get to you, but I have confidence in my ability,” Friend says. “I know that there’s more that I can do.”
As he charts his future, Friend has an ambitious vision for what’s next. “My dream has always been to host the Oscars, like my generation’s version of Kimmel or Colbert,” Friend says. “Or to have a talk show, but also to develop my own vehicle in the acting space, like Dave or Atlanta. I’m working on all those things.”