Friday Night Lights was one of the most beloved television series in recent memory. Based on the 2004 movie, the series followed the Dillon Panthers, a high school football team in a Texas community where football is worshiped. The stories of the various people involved with the team, both on and off the field, was touching, funny and inspiring.
One of the things that made the show so great was its amazing cast. The series was filled with plenty of fantastic talent, many of which went on to great things once the show ended after five seasons. So if you're feeling nostalgic for the Dillon Panthers and their supporters, check out what the cast of Friday Night Lights is doing now.
Taylor Kitsch (Tim Riggins)
Tim Riggins, played by Taylor Kitsch, was the bad boy of Friday Night Lights. A talented football player, he was also a reckless womanizer and alcoholic. His lowest moment was having an affair with his best friend's girlfriend. By the end of the series, Tim changed his reckless was and matured a great deal.
After the show's end, Kitsch tried to kickstart his movie career with some high-profile projects. When movies like X-Men: Origins Wolverine, Battleship and John Carter failed to make a splash, he started taking supporting roles in films like Only the Brave and Lone Survivor. He'll next be seen alongside Chadwick Boseman in the thriller 21 Bridges.
Scott Porter (Jason Street)
Scott Porter played Jason Street, the star quarterback of the Panthers at the beginning of the series. In their season opener, Jason is injured on the field leaving him partially paralyzed. Street's journey from them on is about his coping with his injury, the breakdown of his relationship with Tim and his girlfriend Lyla, and his attempt to start a life outside of football.
Since the end of Friday Night Lights, Porter has mostly kept busy with guest starring roles on shows like The Good Wife and Scorpion. He has also done a lot of voice work and even voiced several of Marvel's biggest heroes like Cyclops, White Wolf, and Peter Quill.
Minka Kelly (Lyla Garrity)
Lyla Garrity seemingly had the perfect life at the beginning of the series. She was a popular cheerleader, she was dating the star quarterback and she came from a wealthy and prominent Texas family. Cracks soon began to show in that perfect world and Lyla spends the rest of the show trying to discover her true self. Through hard work, she manages to shed her spoiled reputation and make her own way outside of Dillon.
Minka Kelly's post-Friday Night Lights career has mostly been filled with small films and guest roles on show. She appeared in Parenthood and Jane the Virgin, as well as movies like The Butler and (500) Days of Summer.
Jesse Plemons (Landry Clark)
Landry Clark started the show as little more than a sidekick to Matt Saracen, but thanks to Plemons extremely likable performance, the character's role continued to grow. Landry was a bit of an outcast in sports-obsessed Dillon but his friendly personality made him friends. He eventually made the Panthers team and began a relationship with Tyra Collette.
Plemons has gradually become one of the most interesting character actors working today. He's had standout roles in shows like Breaking Bad, Fargo and Black Mirror. He's also starred in a number of high-profile films like The Post, Black Mass and a scene-stealing role in Game Night. He'll next star alongside Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman.
Brad Leland (Buddy Garrity)
Buddy Garrity was the enthusiastic and loud president of the Dillon Panthers booster club and local businessman. Being a former Panthers quarterback, Buddy was extremely passionate about the team and its success. He sometimes butted heads with Coach Taylor but had a good heart.
Brad Leland actually had a small role in the Friday Night Lights movie, directed by Peter Berg. Since then, he has popped up in several of Berg's movies like Hancock and Deepwater Horizon, in small roles. He has also had guest roles on shows like Parks and Recreation, The Leftovers and had a recurring role on the final season of Justified.
Adrianne Palicki (Tyra Collette)
Tyra Collette was the attractive, popular and rebellious young lady who went to Dillon High School. She is the on-again-off-again girlfriend of Tim Riggins and had a short-lived relationship with Landry Clark. Her family's struggles to make ends meet causes her to resent the wealthier Dillon residents and she is constantly seeking a way of escaping Dillon for good. After putting all her efforts into her school work, Tyra is accepted to university and leaves Dillon.
Adrianna Palicki's acting career post-Friday Night Lights has been very action-focused. She starred in the failed Wonder Woman show but then got to play Bobbi Moore on Agents of SHIELD. She has also appeared in a number of big action films like Red Dawn, GI Joe: Retaliation and John Wick. She currently stars in the sci-fi series The Orville.
Zach Gilford (Matt Saracen)
Matt Saracen was the awkward but skilled quarterback of the Dillon Panthers following Jason Street's injury. Matt initially had trouble dealing with the pressure of the position and lacked the confidence, but was helped along by Coach Taylor. He eventually developed a relationship with the coach's daughter, Julie. Matt had a difficult home life living with his ailing grandmother while his father fought overseas. Eventually, he and Julie get married and move to Chicago.
Zach Gilford has kept a steady acting career following the show, appearing in supporting roles in several high profile projects. He starred in films such as The Last Stand and The Purge: Anarchy. He can now be seen in a recurring role in LA's Finest.
Michael B. Jordan (Vince Howard)
Vince Howard is one of the new characters introduced to the show in Season 4. He is a troubled young man who is often in trouble with the law. Though he never played football before, Coach Taylor helps develop Vince into the team's star quarterback. Throughout the series, Vince struggles with his arrogant attitude, his mother's drug problems, and an overbearing father.
Michael B. Jordan is certainly the biggest talent to come out of Friday Night Lights, which is saying a lot. Jordan gained acclaim for his role in Ryan Coogler's debut film Fruitvale Station as well as Chronicle. Since then, he has become one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors thanks to roles in Creed and Black Panther.
Connie Britton (Tami Taylor)
Tami Taylor was the very supportive, yet independent, wife of Coach Taylor. Though she is involved in the football lifestyle of her husband she is also the voice of reason in many cases, pointing to things that are more important than football. She becomes Dillon High's guidance counselor and eventually hired by a university in Philadelphia leading the family to leave Texas at the end of the series.
Connie Britton was reprising her role from the Friday Night Lights movie and continues to have a stellar acting career after the show's end. She starred in the series Nashville for six seasons and has starred in films like A Nightmare on Elm Street and American Ultra. Recently she was seen in the limited series Dirty John.
Kyle Chandler (Coach Taylor)
Coach Taylor will be remembered as one of the most inspirational television characters of all-time. For the entire run of the show, Taylor was a dedicated, talented and caring leader of the Dillon Panthers. Though he pushed his team extremely hard and always wanted to win it all, he never put football above the well-being of his players. His oft-repeated phrase "Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can't lose", has become iconic.
Though he was acting regularly before the show, Friday Night Lights boosted Chandler's career significantly. He starred in the mystery series Bloodline for three season. He's also had a stellar film career with roles in Argo, Super 8, Zero Dark Thirty, The Wolf of Wall Street and Manchester by the Sea. He'll next be seen in Godzilla: King of the Monsters.