Matt LeBlanc’s love of all things four- and two-wheeled will come as no surprise to Top Gear fans.

Aficionados will recall his previous appearances on the show, then presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.

The American actor, currently playing a fictional version of himself in BBC Two/Showtime co-production Episodes, holds the record for the fastest ever celebrity lap of the famous Top Gear track.

Top Gear's Matt LeBlanc
Top Gear’s Matt LeBlanc (Dan Steinberg/Invision)

In 2012, he clocked a still unbeaten 1 minute 42.1 seconds in the Kia Cee’d.

A year later, Matt was asked to test the new Kia Cee’d on the track, against the old one.

While on set for a previous guest appearance, he spent as much time as he was allowed driving the McLaren 12C supercar around the Top Gear track, accompanied by The Stig.

The award-winning actor, comedian and producer has been announced as co-presenter of BBC Two’s new incarnation of Top Gear alongside Chris Evans.

Born in Massachusetts, Matt’s mother was an office manager and his father was a mechanic.

His early acting jobs included a 1987 Heinz Tomato Ketchup commercial and the short-lived 1991 sitcom Top Of The Heap (it lasted for only seven episodes).

Goofy lothario Joey Tribbiani made Matt an international star. He played Friends’ aspiring actor from 1994-2004.

When the show ended, his character was spun off into eponymous sitcom Joey, but it flopped and was axed after two seasons.

A middling film career has included the critically panned 1996 movie Ed and 1998′s Lost In Space. Two years later, Matt popped up in Charlie’s Angels.

Acclaimed satirical series Episodes, also starring Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan, shoots in the UK, which proved convenient for Matt’s Top Gear stints in the past.

The 48-year-old has won a Golden Globe award for his work on Episodes. He received three Emmy nominations for his work on Friends.