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‘Friday Night Lights’ cast returns for shooting
It was like the first day back to school for the returning cast of “Friday Night Lights,” which began shootings its second season for NBC on Thursday.
Probably compounding that feeling: they were shooting at an Austin alternative school.
Thought the show only earned two Emmy nominations when they were announced that morning (one for casting, one to Peter Berg for directing last season’s pilot), spirits seemed high on the set. Taylor Kitsch (Tim Riggins), returning from shooting an independent film called “Gospell Hill,” said he was glad to be back and was happy to slip back into Riggins’ world of problems.
“It feels funny. It feels good,” Kitsch said, “we are so lucky.”
Kitsch recently bought a condo in South Austin near the Alamo Drafthouse on Lamar Boulevard and is taking the show script by script. Kitsch said he wasn’t bitter about the show’s Best Drama snub, but, “Truthfully, Kyle Chandler really deserved it. He’s the spine of the show.” Kitsch thinks it’ll give the show more fuel for the fire and, “it hasn’t taken away from the confidence we all have in each other at all.”
Adrianne Palicki (Tyra Collette), who spent time back home in Ohio and in L.A. with Connie Britton for the summer, says a lot of loose ends from last season get tied up in the first two episodes of Season Two, including the return of a character who tried to rape Tyra near the end of last season.
She says she’s still getting lots of positive feedback from fans, especially those who appreciate the show’s strong female characters.
Gaius Charles (Brian “Smash” Williams) spent time in L.A., New York and the Caribbean in the summer and shot an episode of “Law & Order: SVU.” He spent the rest of his time off relaxing. “This is an intense job,” he said.
So what about Smash? The actor said that after last season’s championship win, the player’s on top of the world. “Imagine LeBron James in his senior year of high school. He’s exalted like never before,” Charles said. One of the first scenes of the season involves a college recruiter knocking on his door.
Gaius Charles said he enjoyed this year’s Television Critics Association tour, especially in contrast to last year. He says the show once fought to establish credibility, and now it’s getting “respect and reverence” from critics and supporters.
And Zach Gilford (Matt Saracen) returns to town with his dog Pippen (napping in his trailer during shooting) after spending time in his hometown Chicago and in L.A., Alaska and Seattle among other places. Gilford laughed as he explained some recent photos that had circulated from the press tour showing him shaggy of beard and wild of hair.
He was taking some high school kids into the mountains in British Columbia as he has the last five years and wasn’t sure what his start date would be for shooting. He let his hair grow for the whole summer and when he was told he’d have to clean up for the press tour, he decided to show some chutzpah and keep it. Fans will be glad to know, however, that he was clean-shaven and buzz-cut by call time. Whew. We were worried, dude.
You may catch him at Z’Tejas, which he plans to hit up immediately for some tasty food.
He says the first scene he shot for the second season took some adjusting to. “We were a little rusty and we all felt it,” he said. He was excited to begin shooting some scenes at his fictional house in the afternoon. He promises Matt will be beset by troubles as always, which is good for the character. As for the always modest and charming Gilford, “I’m just glad to be here,” he said.
Bonus: We’ve got video greetings to fans from the four “FNL” cast members mentioned in this entry. Click here to watch.
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