Taylor Kitsch Shares What Made 'Friday Night Lights' So Special

Actor Taylor Kitsch talks to Sam Jones about why the set of 'Friday Night Lights' was so unique and empowering for actors.
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[@alysialiwanag8866]

I don't care anyone says, Friday Night Lights has some of the best writing and acting in TV history.

[@brandondavenport6147]

Very true

[@thehashslingingslasher6443]

considering the ratings of the show. Most people agree with u. 90+% love the show.

[@cards0486]

I’d fight all the time to get friends interested in watching it. “It’s not ABOUT football! It’s people and their lives.” Once it was on streaming sites suddenly America discovers FNL. It’s late, but at least it’s being appreciated. What an amazing show. Kyle and Connie were the most perfect married couple on TV.

[@MaverickIceman]

What does "anyone" say? I haven't heard of anybody giving FNL a bad review. Everyone who's seen that show loves that show

[@michaelsix9684]

awesome show -- loved the actors and characters, bought the DVD set

[@BIGSAM-O-A]

Tim Riggins is one of those iconic tv characters

[@YahshuaWinz]

Texas for life!

[@haskell8435]

Dude had sex with his paralyzed best friends girlfriend while he was in the hospital/rehab

[@YahshuaWinz]

@@haskell8435 facts

[@callbackdons]

@@YahshuaWinz.. "Texas Forever" :)

[@gabemoon9644]

FNL is a damn near perfect portrayal of Texas high school football, it’s scary how accurate this was to my high school

[@esava44]

Friday Night lights might be the greatest show ever made.

[@ryandaniel7347]

I totally agree.

[@Denyshowe]

Probably not, but it's worth watching over and over because of how really good it is.

[@micahclawrence]

Lol

[@drivingintothedesertuntilt3202]

Most teen shows are garbage like Riverdale, fnl is great tv and so unique

[@kimboisvert322]

i love how he refers to everyone on the show by such casual nicknames

[@joemckim1183]

He just referred to his fellow players by their jersey numbers.

[@movingtoflorida7225]

@@joemckim1183 all the players did

[@marzena2301]

Hockey player style

[@joyw3327]

Chan and cons 😆 so cute

[@reneebelle2]

My favorite line from Tim Riggins and how he said it " Why would you want to leave Texas?"

[@1sxo382]

And Taylor Kitsch ended up staying in Texas

[@ibleedblue0518]

Mine was... TEXAS FOREVER

[@pdfbanana]

lmao a depressing line really

[@njuta]

I just finished binge watching FNL and I loved it. I think Tami and Eric are so lovely and grounded. I cannot get over heartthrob Tim Riggins, he's a bad boy with a heart of gold.

[@Xoltris]

“Chan” and “Conns”. That’s amazing

[@nspector]

He did that as Riggins too...nicknames like that

[@oldben1800]

Peter was a genius for how he set this show up....go out an act your part, be a high schooler, be emotional and true. It made for one of the best shows ever made

[@kdvlogs8100]

Taylor is a straight up legend imo. Seems like a really smart guy

[@chipgaasche4933]

"legend"? Really? Do you know what the word means?

[@edgythehedgy6661]

Sam jones is a very good interviewer, he keeps it casual but also gets the actors to talk about personal things too

[@easypickens13]

Tim Riggins will always be the man. He had the best character arc in the show.

[@justinbehrenshausen1653]

Riggins is still the 🐐

[@kimberluwiles7552]

I miss this show so much

[@nosir1440]

This show is so good and his character is one of the reasons for it being such a good show

[@marymcreynolds9171]

tim, you made us cry so many times for your sweet vulnerability and rascal personality. Thank you for giving us this sterling character!

[@Afroman_NZ]

This channel deserves so much more attention, keep it up!

[@kristinmarshall4479]

"❤Riggins!" Friday Night Lights💕 such an incredible show!

[@CoushattaL]

Taylor seems like such a humble good guy. He is also very handsome! I love his acting in American Assassin! He is damn good in all he does. :) good interview!

[@ericpommier4197]

This is one of my favorite shows.

[@jseed9675]

I loved this show. It was really hard to find,but I worked at it because it was that good. I cried when it ended.

[@ryankc3631]

And he played Lt. Mike Murphy in Lone Survivor.

[@Roosterjello]

He could play Tom Brady

[@joemckim1183]

He really could. The way he looks with longer hair and short hair totally changes the way he looks.

[@rebelduck9077]

He’s more handsome than Tom Brady

[@SgtBooker44]

Absolutely

[@margaretdarchinger7089]

Loved Tim Riggins.

[@jeanneparadise8200]

He was an outstanding compassionate young man and so very handsome.

[@ryoshi3828]

Man he sounds so much like Riggins

[@pdfbanana]

lmao

[@dreamwalkerday3342]

Time Riggins was Coach’s son. He was the big brother that Julie needed.

[@fibrebird20]

Amazing actor. I hope he rocks Hollywood!

[@AK-wc9rl]

My major criticism of the show was that they got rid of too many of the original cast members after season 3 and I didn't enjoy the new cast half as much as Street, Lyla, Tyra, Smash, Saracen etc. For me FNL ended at season 3.

[@phenomenonnarutokun]

I disagree. The show did a great job showing how there is life after football, and they did. Notice how Smash was the only one from the winning State team to continue playing. That's life. I liked seeing some of them come back, but that's how things work in real life. Coach has to work with new players and get to like them.

[@AK-wc9rl]

@@phenomenonnarutokun They could have shown the original characters in college, they didn't necessarily have to be playing football. Some of them needn't even have had to go to college but it would have been nice to see their lives after Dillon High, be it in a college setting or in a job setting. I just didn't like the new characters/actors as much as the older ones. That's got nothing to do with the story line. In any show, I want to see the core characters remain for either the entirety or at least the majority of the series, and not be replaced half way by new ones.

[@AaronStark1993]

I disagree. The later seasons when Coach Taylor was at East Dillon was my favorite part of the series.

[@HovaNirvana]

@@AaronStark1993 Season 1 is one of the greatest seasons of television ever, but I love the Lions era almost as much.

[@MoonMoon-fx1op]

@@HovaNirvana yeah. Season 1 was unmatched

[@aliaperez7809]

Miss Texas!!!

[@kawills649]

He so beautiful! :-)

[@macwacha8415]

Love it. 💝

[@Fitennis60]

Great show and character

[@lindaweston9456]

Texas forever.

[@savagetilley2782]

RIGGINS!!! I'm still waiting for something more! i'll never give up hope.

[@keybistro4525]

i think the trio of characters coach taylor, tami, and tim - heck all the core characters in FNL - if people on this planet would just be as caring and understanding and giving, this place would be so worth it. clear eyes, full hearts 💯

[@lifelovinalaskagirl]

Cool dude 🫶💪👏ridiculously talented tooooo

[@michaelsix9684]

I was an extra on the movie FNL -- ten days hard work, but so cool, TV show was better in some ways, miss it a lot

[@brakel8r]

this is another one of those shows...ya change the cast and the music......boom....it bombs......thanks Peter berg. and cast....the entire cast...lol...chan and connzz.....heck yeah

[@joemckim1183]

And they shook things up the last 2 seasons and focused on East Dillon and kept things fresh, usually around that time shows start jumping the shark but they were able to keep things together all the way to the end.

[@ibleedblue0518]

TEXAS FOREVER!!!!

[@tonyasawyer8275]

AMAZING QUESTIONS!!

[@mactastic144]

"You're a coward Riggins! - Always will be..."

[@nspector]

Yeah, but not in the end, right

[@evolutionstationmusic2559]

Wait ….. that show was adlib by actors ?

[@mikebonilla2534]

Hi Tim Riggins

[@kbob9625]

Riggins was the best and only Taylor could have played him.

[@kerimalpalt]

Who tf is chan

[@jaredjlinden]

Kyle Chandler, who played Coach Taylor.

[@kerimalpaltuncu97]

@@jaredjlinden thx mate, as soon as the storm is over brother

[@booyatribe4161]

Box Office Bomb Actor😚😚😚😚

[@oldskool4572]

Dull actor. Don't get the fuss about him.

[@judioregan4210]

oldskool - haven't seen Waco then. Or the rave reviews about his career best performance so far. Taylor's first major role of Riggins was as a very insular, very closed off and moody teenager, so he would appear, to the more superficial viewer, as dull. But Taylor brought so many layers to a character that he could have just phoned in and played as a one dimensional pretty boy highschool fullback. But he didn't, thank goodness. Taylor gave Riggins heart, strength and a tortured soul. He allowed us to see all that and was absolutely brilliant at it. Taylor truly cut his acting teeth playing this complex character. To break viewers' hearts week after week as the tormented Riggins, and now blowing people's minds as the even more tormented David Koresh, I wouldn't exactly class that as dull.

[@oldskool4572]

Fair enough. I am going on the crap he was cast in like John Carter and that terrible Oliver Stone that I can't remember the name of. I just wasn't taken with him. I will check out Waco though, so thanks for the tip ;) Although this review would beg to differ: www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/jan/24/waco-review-cult-drama-series In fact most of the reviews are hardly raving with average to below average scores. Just sayiing...;)

[@judioregan4210]

oldskool - if you read those reviews of Waco again, you will see that, while the show itself has had mixed reviews, Taylor's performance itself has garnered some largely positive feedback. It always pays to look a little deeper, than just skim the surface to satisfy your own preconceptions. John Carter wasn't exactly Taylor's fault, and he's recently said that his script was reduced to him being bewildered and asking questions the whole time. He has also said that he prefers live action to trying to act in front of a green screen. I rather liked Savages actually. Sure, it had its flaws, and it's not one of Oliver Stone's best, but it was entertaining. And Taylor's portrayal of ex-Navy Seal Chon was anything but dull. The guy was a bloody psycho! But I really don't know how you can work out a person's character from just a few minutes of interview. Not all his interviews are this quiet and reflective. Taylor has appeared on all the late night talk shows, and has proved himself to be smart, warm and funny, very engaging and always up for a laugh. And he's known for his typically Canadian bone dry, sarcastic sense of humour. I think you may have judged the chap far too quickly. Another tip: check out The Bang Bang Club, true story about a team of war photographers in South Africa towards the end of apartheid. Taylor is a Pulitzer prize winning photographer, and is absolutely brilliant in it. Taylor has this incredibly conscientious work ethos, and it is this dedication that's winning him a lot of respect in the industry. He approaches every project not only with inexhaustible preparation, but also with compassion, emotional intelligence and a fair degree of objectivity. Taylor doesn't like to patronise the viewer. He prefers to let us make up our own mind about the character he's playing. He's an actor's actor, so really cannot be arsed with the whole celebrity hooha, and avoids the spotlight, unless of course he's promoting his latest work on talk shows. He just keeps his head down and gets on with the job at hand. Taylor has talent and integrity, and that is why I like and respect him. And, judging by his rapidly growing range as an actor, he is anything but dull.

[@oldskool4572]

Thank you. Its really cool to have a discussion with someone without it resorting to name calling and general abuse. It makes a refreshing change! I can tell you're passionate about this topic and have argued it really well. I will certainly check out Waco and The Bang Bang Club. I am equally passionate about actors like Sam Rockwell and Jeff Bridges. There are others (like John Hawkes, who i think is criminally underrated) that I love as well, so its nice to see someone else sticking up for an actor they believe in. I will most certainly give Kitsch another chance ;)

[@judioregan4210]

oldskool - cheers mate. I loved Sam Rockwell in Moon, he was just amazing! And I love Jeff Bridges in just about everything he's in. Tom Hanks also. And Josh Brolin did a brilliant job of impersonating Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black 3. Just uncanny. Terrific actors. Anyway, lovely chatting with you matey. I hope you enjoy my recommendations. They really are worth checking out. 👍😉🇬🇧