Friday Night Lights’ Cast: Where Are They Now?
Texas always! For five seasons, Friday Night Lights on NBC captured viewers’ hearts, and the cast is just as devoted to the show as its viewers.
The factual book by H.G. Bissinger, which was later made into the 2004 movie of the same name, served as the basis for the series. The programme examined the lives of high school athletes and their families in a small Texas community from 2006 to 2011, garnering a Peabody Award, a Television Critics Association Award, and numerous Emmy Award nominations
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The ensemble reunited on the actual Panther Field in Austin, Texas, for the 2016 ATX Television Festival, five years after the programme was cancelled.
The actor who portrayed renowned athlete Jason Street, Scott Porter, said to Entertainment Weekly at the time, “Being back here is great.” “We used to play flag football here, and I believe that, even more than shooting out here, meant something to me in a specific way. It’s the place where those memories were built, the place where those bonds were truly forged and ironed.”
Texas always! For five seasons, Friday Night Lights on NBC captured viewers’ hearts, and the cast is just as devoted to the show as its viewers.
The factual book by H.G. Bissinger, which was later made into the 2004 movie of the same name, served as the basis for the series. The programme examined the lives of high school athletes and their families in a small Texas community from 2006 to 2011, garnering a Peabody Award, a Television Critics Association Award, and numerous Emmy Award nominations.
The ensemble reunited on the actual Panther Field in Austin, Texas, for the 2016 ATX Television Festival, five years after the programme was cancelled.
The actor who portrayed renowned athlete Jason Street, Scott Porter, said to Entertainment Weekly at the time, “Being back here is great.” “We used to play flag football here, and I believe that, even more than shooting out here, meant something to me in a specific way. It’s the place where those memories were built, the place where those bonds were truly forged and ironed.”
Porter spoke candidly about the prospect of a sports drama resurrection two years later, but he made clear that he believed the show provided each character just the proper amount of “closure” by the conclusion. According to him, many shows conclude way too soon, depriving the audience and individuals participating of the closure they so desperately need. “I believe that many of us from Friday Night Lights all received the closure because it finished so brilliantly,” the actor said.
Despite the fact that some fans had been hoping for a revival, Adrianne Palicki, who played Tyra Collette, put an end to any rumours in April 2020.
“I don’t know about you guys, but every time I’m interviewed I am asked if there will be a spinoff or a reunion episode. When they reconnected via Zoom for Global Citizens #Together at home, amid the coronavirus outbreak, the actress requested her co-stars. “No,” was the response.
To find out more about the current whereabouts of the Friday Night Lights cast, scroll down.
Connie Britton (Tami Taylor)
The native of Massachusetts starred in riveting dramas like Nashville, American Horror Story, 9-1-1, and Dirty John after stealing the show as Tami Taylor, the guidance counsellor at Dillon High. She also has a son named Eyob, whom she adopted when he was nine months old in November 2011.
Kyle Chandler (Coach Taylor)
Chandler moved to the big screen after giving his last bow as adored high school football coach Eric Taylor. He appeared in the movies Super 8, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, Super 8, and 2012 before joining Millie Bobby Brown in the Godzilla franchise in 2019.
Taylor Kitsch (Tim Riggins)
As the tormented heartthrob Tim Riggins, Kitsch won the hearts of viewers for five seasons. He has taken on significant roles in Battleship, The Normal Heart, and Waco, and he has acknowledged that he has “full closure” with the conclusion of his character’s story. He has also ruled out returning for a reunion film.
Zach Gilford (Matt Saracen)
Gilford made his feature film debut in 2006’s The Last Winter, which was released shortly after his position was shifted to recurring for seasons 4 and 5 of the sports drama. The native of Illinois has since appeared in several independent films and landed a recurring role on NBC’s Good Girls. Gilford married Kiele Sanchez, an actress that he met while working on The Matadors’ pilot episode, in December 2012. Two years after Sanchez had a terrible miscarriage, the couple had their daughter Zeppelin Adele through a surrogate.
Minka Kelly (Lyla Garrity)
Kelly later made appearances on shows including Parenthood, Charlie’s Angels, and Almost Human after departing Dillon, Texas in season 3. Despite her propensity to maintain a low profile, she acknowledged in a 2016 radio interview with Power 106 that she didn’t mind hearing speculations about her romantic relationships. “I believe that it is inevitable. In exchange for the fantastic life I have, it’s a little price to pay “At the time, she stated. Simply look for the humour in everything.
The actress and Trevor Noah had been dating since the start of the year, according to a September 2020 Us report. Us exclusively revealed that they are “back together” after a brief breakup in May 2021 after finding they are “happier being together than apart.”
While there was “no ill will” between Kelly and Noah, Us revealed a year later that the pair had broken up once more. The source stated that “everything is friendly between them” in May 2022.
Jesse Plemons (Landry Clarke)
The Texas native gained notoriety for his work in Friday Night Lights before moving on to Breaking Bad and Fargo. In 2022, he received his first Oscar nomination for his roles in The Power of the Dog, The Irishman, and Jungle Cruise.
The couple welcomed their first child together, son Ennis, in May 2018 after the actor proposed to his Fargo co-star Kirsten Dunst in 2017. The relationship also fueled speculations of a covert wedding ceremony. In September 2019, the Bring It On actress officially acknowledged that they still hadn’t exchanged vows. In 2021, the Marie Antoinette actress gave birth to James, the couple’s second son. In July 2022, Dunst’s agent confirmed that the A-list pair had wed.
Scott Porter (Jason Street)
After Friday Night Lights, Porter transitioned to the big screen, making appearances in Bandslam, Dear John, and Music and Lyrics. Later, he appeared in Hart of Dixie with Rachel Bilson. The Nebraska native wed Kelsey Mayfield, a casting director, whom he met while working on the set of the sports drama series, in 2013.
Aimee Teegarden (Julie Taylor)
The native of California went on to star in both Disney’s Prom and Scream 4 in 2011. Before Friday Night Lights’ final season, Teegarden’s performance on the show earned her the Young Hollywood Awards’ TV Actress of the Year title. She has since become a strong proponent of ocean preservation.
With lead parts in Once Upon a Christmas Miracle and A New Year’s Resolution, the Notorious alum has also seen success on the Hallmark Channel.
Adrianne Palicki (Tyra Collette)
Tyra Collette, the football-hating character played by Palicki on the show for its first three seasons, only made an appearance in the final two episodes before leaving. Later, the comic book enthusiast became a star in Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville, where she first met her husband-to-be Scott Grimes. The couple announced their engagement in January 2019, were married four months later, and filed for divorce in July of that same year. In November 2019, TMZ reported that Palicki asked to have her divorce application dismissed. They informed one other that she had submitted a second divorce petition in July 2020. In April 2022, her divorce from Grimes became legally binding.
Brad Leland (Buddy Garrity)
Throughout his 40-year career, the Texas Tech alumnus has appeared as a guest star on a number of well-known series, including Veep, Parks and Recreation, Last Man Standing, and The Cleveland Show. Thea and Leah, two daughters he has with Freda Ramsey, an actress.
Matt Lauria (Luke Cafferty)
The Virginia native co-starred in Gilded Lilys and Parenthood after leaving the East Dillon Lions. He appeared in Catherine Hardwicke’s action thriller Miss Bala in 2019 alongside Gina Rodriguez.
Michael B. Jordan (Vince Howard)
On Friday Night Lights’ final two seasons, Jordan received a breakthrough role as a young quarterback. He was described as “a youthful Denzel Washington” for his portrayal in Fruitvale Station by The Hollywood Reporter two years after the series finale. Later, the California native appeared in the films Just Mercy, Creed, and Black Panther.
In November 2020, Jordan started dating Steve Harvey’s daughter Lori Harvey. The couple split up in June 2022.
Jurnee Smollett (Jess Merriweather)
The New Yorker was a series regular on HBO’s True Blood from 2013 to 2014. Us announced in March 2020 that the actress and her spouse of nearly ten years, Josiah Bell, had separated. Hunter, a son of the former couple, was born to them in 2016.