Matt Ritter—a former lawyer turned Hollywood multi-hyphenate who's fast becoming the definitive voice of the modern friendship movement. Matt is the creator, writer, producer, and star of The Buddy System, a hilarious and heartfelt Audible Original which has just launched. The special blends personal storytelling with cutting-edge research on social fitness—challenging the idea that friendship is a luxury and making the case that it's actually the most important wellness tool we have.
He's also co-host of Man of the Year, the #1 podcast on male friendship, and the founder of Friendship Productions, a creative studio developing original content across film, TV, audio, and social—cantered around the theme of connection in an age of isolation.
As a storyteller and performer, Matt is taking centre stage in a new wave of character-driven, friendship-forward content. His current projects include:
Matt has previously produced hit unscripted series like Duck Dynasty, Fat N' Furious, Tasteless, and Chained to My Ex, and has been featured on The Today Show, Netflix Is a Joke, NPR, The New York Times, and more. He also recently interviewed the U.S. Surgeon General and is slated to give his first TED Talk in 2026: "Friendship Is the Original Life Hack."
We chat about leaving law, being the friendship guy and inspiring others, Fat N' Furious, Man of the Year awards & podcasts, The Buddy system, lying his way into Hollywood + plenty more!
Check Matt out on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattritter1
The Buddy System (Audible): https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Buddy-System-Audiobook/B0FSTJLYS4?srsltid=AfmBOorpIhIlEUK2AQ21s_OePo8aSdOVAujuhqth8C9OLKoJZbw0kBhB
7 day Friendship Challenge: https://www.thefriendshipguy.com/seven-day-challenge
Man of the year podcast - check it out on all the podcast apps
Tour dates/ tickets:
Contact: matt@thefriendshipguy.com
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