Read the blocks, hit the gaps! Catch up with all the stars of NBC's Emmywinning series since it ended in 2011. Texas forever? See what the Friday Night Lights c

Read the blocks, hit the gaps! Catch up with all the stars of NBC's Emmy-winning series since it ended in 2011.

Texas forever? See what the Friday Night Lights cast has been up to since leaving Dillon

Read the blocks, hit the gaps! Catch up with all the stars of NBC's Emmy-winning series since it ended in 2011.

By Madeline Boardman

Madeline Boardman

Madeline Boardman is a former digital features director at **. She left EW in 2017.

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and James Mercadante

September 1, 2025 8:00 a.m. ET

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(From left to right): Gaius Charles as Brian 'Smash' Williams, Jesse Plemons as Landry Clarke, Minka Kelly as Lyla Garrity, Scott Porter as Jason Street, Aimeé Teegarden as Julie Taylor, Connie Britton as Tami Taylor, Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor, Zach Gilford (front) as Matt Saracen, Adrianne Palicki as Tyra Collette, and Taylor Kitsch as Tim Riggins on 'Friday Night Lights'. Credit:

Michael Muller/NBC

"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose."

That rallying cry Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) first used to fire up the Dillon Panthers has been echoing ever since *Friday Night Lights* kicked off in 2006.

Developed from Peter Berg's 2004 film (itself based on H.G. Bissinger's nonfiction book), the Emmy- and Peabody-winning drama follows Coach Taylor, his wife Tami (Connie Britton), and his team, as they face all of the highs and lows of small-town Texas football over five seasons. The series scored big with viewers and critics, gave its leads a major career boost, and helped launch then-rookie talent like Jesse Plemons and Michael B. Jordan.

Now, fans might finally get back on the Dillon, Tex., gridiron — Peacock has a reboot in the works, with a new cast and storyline, though it's still unclear if any of the original players will return.

As we huddle up for the reboot, let's "go all the way" back to the OG cast and see where they've run off to since *FNL* ended in 2011.

Kyle Chandler (Coach Eric Taylor)

Kyle Chandler as Coach Eric Taylor on 'Friday Night Lights'; Kyle Chandler attends the L.A. premiere of 'Slumberland' on Nov. 9, 2022.

Van Redin/NBC; Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Kyle Chandler has clear eyes and a full heart as Coach Eric Taylor, the wise family man who acts as a father figure to many of the boys on the Dillon High School Panthers football team and helps develop the program at East Dillon High. By the time the cameras were on, Chandler knew Eric deeply enough to call some of his own plays.

"It was so creative," he told EW in December 2020 of working on the show. "We had a great writing team, but they would give us leeway to work. That was what was so interesting about that show, is that we knew those characters so well and we could stick by them."

After *FNL*'s wrap in 2011, the New York-born actor dropped the drawl and picked up gigs in Oscar-nominated movies like *Argo* (2012), *Zero Dark Thirty* (2012), *The Wolf of Wall Street* (2013), and *Manchester by the Sea* (2016). He also starred as Dr. Mark Russell in *Godzilla: King of the Monsters* (2019) and *Godzilla vs. Kong* (2021); appeared in the Netflix films *Slumberland* (2022) and *Back in Action* (2025); and had TV turns on *Bloodline*, *Mayor of Kingstown*, and *Super Pumped*. Chandler is slated to play Hal Jordan/Green Lantern on HBO's upcoming DC series, *Lanterns.*

The actor has been married to writer Kathryn MacQuarrie since 1995. Together, they have two daughters: actress Sydney Chandler and Sawyer Chandler.

Connie Britton (Tami Taylor)

Connie Britton as Tami Taylor on 'Friday Night Lights'; Connie Britton attends the L.A. premiere of 'Overcompensating' on May 14, 2025.

Bill Records/NBC; JC Olivera/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty

Connie Britton and her famed head of curls steal the show as Tami Taylor, starring opposite Kyle Chandler as the football coach's no-nonsense, ever-charming wife, who raises the family's two daughters while growing her own academic career at Dillon High.

"It was definitely a moment in time where I learned so much as an actress. I learned kind of how I wanted to work," Britton told PEOPLE in May 2025. "And also it was an important time actually...because that was the first time as an actress that I recognized that the work we do in playing our characters can actually impact people and that our audiences can see themselves and the characters that we play."**

The Britton-sized hole in fans' hearts was filled just months after *Friday Night Lights* ended, when the *Spin City* actress booked a gig in the first season of *American Horror Story*. She then signed on for ABC's *Nashville*, starring alongside Hayden Panettiere, and made appearances in movies such as *This Is Where I Leave You* (2014), *Me and Earl and the Dying Girl* (2015), *Bombshell* (2019)*, *and *Promising Young Woman *(2020). In 2021, Britton went on to star in the first season of HBO's hit anthology series *The White Lotus*, and in 2023, she reunited with *FNL*'s showrunner Jason Katims on Apple TV+'s *Dear Edward*. Her most recent credits include *The Life List* (2025) and episodes of *Zero Day* (costarring with fellow *FNL* alum Jesse Plemons) and *Overcompensating*.

Britton welcomed a son, Yoby, through adoption in 2011. She's been in a relationship with TV producer David Windsor since 2019.

Aimeé Teegarden (Julie Taylor)

Aimeé Teegarden as Julie Taylor on 'Friday Night Lights'; Aimeé Teegarden attends a special screening of 'A Holiday Spectacular' in NYC on Oct. 20, 2022.

Bill Records/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Noam Galai/Getty

Just 16 years old when *FNL* debuted, Aimeé Teegarden took on the role of Julie Taylor, the daughter of Eric and Tami Taylor. She began the show as a first-year high school student, growing through the series as she meets her first love, faces changes at home, and experiences a healthy dose of rebellion against her parents.

"That show was just — it's alchemy," she told *Nylon* in September 2016. "It's everything happening when it needs to happen, and the right pieces sort of fall together. And Kyle Chandler, I remember, he used to say to us, 'You kids, you have no idea how good you have it. You have no idea.' So I think, at the time, we all kind of just really tried to enjoy it as much as possible, and it was just such a special show, and it was an amazing time in my life."**

The same year she graduated from Dillon High (and from her gig as Julie), Teegarden starred in Disney's *Prom* and had a supporting role in *Scream 4*. She later appeared in movies like the Liam Hemsworth-starring *Love and Honor *(2013)*,* *Rings* (2017), and *The Road to Galena* (2022). On TV, she starred on short-lived series *Star-Crossed* and *Notorious*, and has become a familiar face in a string of Hallmark movies.

Scott Porter (Jason Street)

Scott Porter as Jason Street on 'Friday Night Lights'; Scott Porter attends the MPTF NextGen Annual Summer Party in L.A. on June 22, 2025.

Van Redin/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty

Scott Porter opens the show as Dillon's star quarterback, Jason Street. The athlete's fate soon turns, however, as he becomes paralyzed from the chest down following a debilitating injury in the first game of the season. After a tough personal battle, Jason stays close to the game with a post-high school career as a sports agent.

"In my mind, Jason won," Porter said during EW's* Binge* podcast in March 2017. "Everybody in that town is so worried about winning football games, but when it really comes down to it, he won the biggest prize of all: He grew up. He got out. He has a wife that he loves, and he's got kids, and he's got a great job, and he succeeded when the deck was so stacked against him, and that is only a testament to his fortitude."

Jason didn't define Porter's career for long, as he booked a recurring role on *The Good Wife* before *FNL* even wrapped. He appeared in movies like *10 Years* (2011) and *The To Do List* (2013) and continued his television work with starring roles on *Hart of Dixie* and *Ginny & Georgia*. In 2024, he competed on *The Masked Singer* as Gumball, finishing in second place.

Since 2013, Porter has been married to casting director Kelsey Mayfield. The couple share a son and a daughter, who have yet to watch *FNL — *the show where their parents first met.

"I think we won't watch that show until both of [them] are maybe middle school age," he told PEOPLE in May 2025. "So, I think I've got a little bit of time yet."

Zach Gilford (Matt Saracen)

Zach Gilford as Matt Saracen on 'Friday Night Lights'; Zach Gilford appears on 'Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen' on Aug. 2, 2024.

Bill Records/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank; Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty

Zach Gilford plays Matt Saracen, *FNL*'s boy next door with a heart of gold. The Panthers' quarterback takes over for the injured Jason Street and becomes close to the Taylor family as he dates Julie and bonds with Coach Taylor in lieu of a relationship with his own father.

"It was an iconic show and a great role," he told EW in July 2024 of his time as Matt on *FNL*. "We all have a role that people always know us for, and I'm really lucky to have that one. And I've been really lucky to do a lot of different stuff since."

Following *Friday Night Lights*, Gilford nabbed a spot as Taylor Swift's love interest in her "Ours" music video and booked a gig as a series regular on ABC's *Off the Map*. The medical drama was soon canceled, but Gilford turned to other TV projects like *The Mob Doctor*, *The Family*, *Good Girls*, *L.A.'s Finest*, *Midnight Mass*, *The Midnight Club*, *Criminal Minds: Evolution*, and *The Fall of the House of Usher*. He also nabbed film credits for *The Purge: Anarchy* (2014) and *There's Something Wrong With the Children* (2023).

From 2012 to 2025, Gilford was married to actress Kiele Sanchez, his costar in *The Purge: Anarchy* and on *Criminal Minds*. The two share a daughter named Zeppelin.

Minka Kelly (Lyla Garrity)

Minka Kelly as Lyla Garrity on 'Friday Night Lights'; Minka Kelly attends Airbnb 2025 Summer Release in L.A. on May 13, 2025.

Paul Drinkwater/NBC; Kevin Mazur/Getty

Minka Kelly became Lyla Garrity with the 2006 premiere of *Friday Night Lights*, bringing the high-achieving head cheerleader to life. Lyla was in a relationship with Jason Street at the time of his injury, but her life gets messy as she starts seeing Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) behind Jason's back and faces drama at home with her parents' marital troubles. She eventually gets back on track and ends up enrolling at Vanderbilt.

After *FNL*, Kelly picked up a starring role on ABC's short-lived *Charlie's Angels* remake. She wasn't idle long after the show's cancellation, however, as she then booked gigs in films such as *Lee Daniels'* *The Butler* (2013), *She's in Portland* (2020), and *Lansky* (2021), and on series *Almost Human*, *Jane the Virgin*, *Titans*, and* Euphoria. *In 2025, she headlined Netflix's Texas-set drama series *Ransom Canyon* as Quinn O'Grady, a character she has compared to Lyla.

"Quinn is like Lyla 20 years later," she told EW in April 2025. "They're different people, but similar in ways that all women can relate to, as far as coming into your own power as a woman and finding your strength and your confidence in your self-esteem. And in recognizing unhealthy or dysfunctional patterns as it pertains to the sort of men that you're spending your time on."**

Kelly has been in a relationship with Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds since 2022.

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Taylor Kitsch (Tim Riggins)

Taylor Kitsch as Tim Riggins on 'Friday Night Lights'; Taylor Kitsch attends the American Veterans Center's 'American Valor: A Salute to Our Heroes' annual gala in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 9, 2024.

Bill Record/NBC; Paul Morigi/Getty

Taylor Kitsch makes viewers swoon as the dreamy Panthers football player Tim Riggins. The rebellious Prince Charming takes his favorite phrase of "Texas forever" to heart, staying in the Lone Star State after graduating from Dillon High and pursuing questionable business ventures with his brother.

"People, for some reason or another, just really gravitated to Riggins," Kitsch told PEOPLE in January 2025. "That, obviously, was the springboard to the career, and I lived in Texas for 15 more years after the show, so it truly affected my life and all for the better."

After *FNL*, the Canadian star had a less-than-successful turn as the title character in Disney's box office bomb *John Carter*, but soon got back on his feet with parts on critically acclaimed TV projects like *The Normal Heart* and season 2 of *True Detective*, *The Defeated*, and *The Terminal List* (plus its prequel series, *Dark Wolf*, which he executive produces, too). Kitsch has also kept his creative spark with *FNL* director-producer Peter Berg, teaming up for movies like *Battleship* (2012), *Lone Survivor* (2013), *21 Bridges* (2019), Netflix's *Painkiller*, and their latest collaboration, *American Primeval*.

"He took a chance on me with *FNL*," Kitsch told PEOPLE. "I didn't have my process yet with *FNL*, so I leaned on him a lot more. With any set, trust is everything. So when you have almost 20 years working together off and on, it's already there. That helps a lot because you can just take massive swings and just go for it."

Jesse Plemons (Landry Clarke)

Jesse Plemons as Landry Clarke on 'Friday Night Lights'; Jesse Plemons attends the 2024 Academy Museum Gala in L.A. on Oct. 19, 2024.

Bill Records/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Jesse Plemons had a bit of a renaissance as Landry Clarke, going from Matt Saracen's nerdy friend to a football jock. When he wasn't on the field or studying, he was falling for resident bad girl Tyra Collette (Adrianne Palicki) and playing in his Christian metal band, Crucifictorious.

"I feel like that show kind of raised the bar and changed what I thought was possible with filmmaking or acting or television — the level of realism," he said of *FNL* during a 2018 EW conversation with Kyle Chandler, whom he reunited with on screen in *Game Night* that same year.**

Since *FNL*, the Texas actor returned to TV with gigs on *Breaking Bad*, *Bent*, *Fargo*, *No Activity*,* *and* Zero Day*. Plemons also added to his filmography with *Black Mass* (2015), *The Irishman* (2019), *The Power of the Dog* (2021) — for which he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor — *Killers of the Flower Moon* (2023), and *Kinds of Kindness* (2024). Up next, he'll play Teddy in Yorgos Lanthimos' *Bugonia* and Plutarch Heavensbee in *The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping*.

Since 2022, Plemons has been married to actress Kirsten Dunst, whom he met on the set of *Fargo* in 2015. They have two sons together.

Gaius Charles (Brian "Smash" Williams)

Gaius Charles as Brian 'Smash' Williams on 'Friday Night Lights'; Gaius Charles attends PaleyLive: Walking and Talking: An Evening With 'The Walking Dead: Dead City' in NYC on April 30, 2025.

Paul Drinkwater/NBC; Dominik Bindl/Getty

Gaius Charles finds his home in Texas as Dillon Panthers running back Smash Williams. The star athlete gets an added boost from steroids in the early seasons before Coach Taylor steps in, and later lands a spot on Texas A&M University's football team.

The New York actor left Texas for Seattle after his time on *FNL*, booking a role as medical intern Shane Ross for seasons 9–10 on *Grey's Anatomy*. In addition to his gig on the long-running drama, Charles also appeared on *NCIS*, *Aquarius, Taken*, and *Roswell, New Mexico. *He has been starring as Perlie Armstrong on *The Walking Dead: Dead City* since 2023.

Adrianne Palicki (Tyra Collette)

Adrianne Palicki as Tyra Collette on 'Friday Night Lights'; Adrianne Palicki attends the 25th annual Texas Film Awards on March 6, 2025.

Bill Records/NBC; Gary Miller/Getty

Adrianne Palicki plays high school hottie Tyra Collette. A supporter of the Dillon Panthers and dealing with a dark home life, Tyra has flings with Tim Riggins and Landry Clarke before enrolling at the University of Texas.

"Before [*FNL*], anything where you had to be wearing a bathing suit, I was pretty much put in. I appreciated the work at the time, but when Peter Berg came in and Linda Loewy and really, honestly believed in me and that I was more than that, it genuinely opened up doors that I never thought I'd be walking through," Palicki told IMDb in June 2022. "And I didn't know that I was going to be walking into the most amazing acting experience of my life."

"I have yet to experience anything that amazing since, so I feel so lucky," she added of her time on the show. "And it's the reason I'm here, it's the reason I'm still an actress."

The star turned to action movies after *FNL*, having parts in *Red Dawn* (2012), *G.I. Joe: Retaliation* (2013), and *John Wick* (2014). On the small screen, Palicki made appearances on *Criminal Minds*, *About a Boy*, and *Drunk History*, before booking a starring role as Bobbi Morse on *Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.* After the series' end in 2016, Palicki went on to star as Commander Kelly Grayson on *The Orville*. She's since earned onscreen credits for *Quasi* (2023), *A Christmas in New Hope* (2024), *Doctor Odyssey*, and *Due West* (2025).

Palicki married her *Orville* costar Scott Grimes in May 2019. Two months later, she filed for divorce, but withdrew the petition before ultimately filing for the second and final time the following year.

Matt Lauria (Luke Cafferty)

Matt Lauria as Luke Cafferty on 'Friday Night Lights'; Matt Lauria at CBS Fest in L.A. on May 7, 2025.

Bill Records/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Alberto Rodriguez/Variety via Getty

Matt Lauria first appears on *Friday Night Lights* in the fourth season, playing newcomer Luke Cafferty. Luke joins the East Dillon team and helps beef up the program as he romances Becky Sproles (Madison Burge).

"For me, [*FNL*] was such an honor to work on," Lauria told EW in April 2011. "The incredible writing, the shooting schedule, the efficiency with which the unbelievably talented crew made it so singular in tone and style and feel, and the talent of the other actors I worked with."

The *Lipstick Jungle* alum continued his focus on TV following *FNL*, working on *Burn Notice*, *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation*, and *Person of Interest*. Lauria also found series regular or recurring gigs on *Parenthood*, *Kingdom*, *Tell Me a Story*, *CSI: Vegas*, *Outer Range*, and *Duster*.

In 2006, Lauria married musician Michelle Armstrong.

Michael B. Jordan (Vince Howard)

Michael B. Jordan as Vince Howard on 'Friday Night Lights'; Michael B. Jordan attends the world premiere of 'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning' in London on May 15, 2025.

Bill Records/NBC; Simon Ackerman/FilmMagic

Michael B. Jordan plays Vince Howard in* FNL'*s fourth and fifth seasons. After facing trouble with the law, Vince joins the East Dillon team, playing football for the first time. He finds success on the team, but is often distracted by his parents' trips in and out of jail.

"[*Friday Night Lights*] was another one of those shows that I was on that opened up so many doors because all the right people loved that show: fans to producers to casting directors," he told *GQ* in a February 2025 career retrospective. "It definitely helped out and created warm environments for me to walk in and leave a good impression."

After *FNL*, Jordan soon became a bona fide movie star with his performance in the critical darling *Fruitvale Station* (2013). He went on to expand his résumé with parts in *Fantastic Four* (2015), *Fahrenheit 451* (2018), *Just Mercy* (2019), and *A Journal for Jordan* (2021). The actor is also known for his roles as Adonis Johnson in the *Creed* films (2015, 2018, 2023); as Erik Killmonger in the *Black Panther* movies (2018, 2022) and on *What If...?*; and as twins Elijah "Smoke" Moore/Elias "Stack" Moore in *Sinners* (2025). He's set to direct and lead the remake of *The Thomas Crown Affair*, which is to be released sometime in 2027.

As for the *FNL* reboot, Jordan said to *GQ,* "I would pop in for an episode...I could come get in this world. I'm cool with that."

Jurnee Smollett (Jess Merriweather)

Jurnee Smollett as Jess Merriweather on 'Friday Night Lights'; Jurnee Smollett attends the world premiere of 'F1' in NYC on June 16, 2025.

Bill Records/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Jurnee Smollett appears on *Friday Night Lights* in its later seasons as Jess Merriweather, who develops a relationship with Vince Howard and gets involved with the football team as a coach-in-training. And though her run only lasts through the second half of the series, Smollett is more than open to reprising Jess for the reboot.

"[I'd appear] in a heartbeat," she told Collider in July 2025. "I love Jason Katims, so if I were invited to, it would be an honor. I'd do anything with [him]. He's phenomenal."

After *FNL*, Smollett booked TV gigs on *The Defenders*, *The Mob Doctor*, *True Blood*, *Underground*,* Lovecraft Country*, and *Smoke*.* *She also starred as Black Canary in *Birds of Prey* (2020), Hannah in *Lou* (2022), and Joanne Carney in *The Order* (2024).

From 2010 to 2021, Smollett was married to musician Josiah Bell, with whom she shares son Hunter.

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