Landry and Vince, is that you? Friday Night Lights costars Jesse Plemons and Michael B. Jordan reunited for the first time in decades — though, unfortunately, not on the gridiron.
“That show felt like anarchy, especially for a network television show,” Plemons, 37, told Jordan, 38, during the Saturday, December 13, episode of Variety & CNN’s “Actors on Actors” series. “I remember the trepidation, ‘Do we really have this space and this freedom?’ And slowly it just becomes a game. That show taught me that really good work can come out of that sense of play and exploration.”
He added, “So many times, I was just trying to break the other actor. It’s just a game.”
Plemons starred as Landry Clarke on FNL, Peter Berg and Jason Katims’ beloved football drama. Jordan, for his part, was a late arrival to East Dillon, playing quarterback Vince Howard.
Friday Night Lights stole viewers’ hearts for five seasons on NBC — and many still live by the motto, “Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose.” Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Please enter a valid email. Subscribe By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails […]
“You’re like the original. The OG cast,” Jordan told Plemons during the Variety sit-down. “I’m the new edition that popped in.”
Plemons stressed that the show “needed” Jordan to shake up the story lines.
“After season 2, we needed some new blood,” the Bugonia actor said. “Friday Night Lights changed my relationship to acting. Peter Berg really put all the responsibility on us to make these characters our own.”
Jordan, meanwhile, was “so anxious” about joining the ranks of the FNL crew.
Michael B. Jordan in ‘Friday Night Lights.’ Justin Stephens/NBC
“You guys were already established. Everybody had such a great relationship, and like the new kid going into a new school, you felt like [an] outsider,” the Sinners star recalled of meeting his FNL costars. “But at that first cast dinner where everybody introduced themselves and welcomed us into the team, all that washed away.”
According to Jordan, Kyle Chandler (a.k.a. Coach Taylor himself) set the tone for welcoming the newcomers.
“You got somebody like Kyle Chandler standing up and talking through the experience of what it’s like to work on the show,” Jordan said. “You don’t quite get it until you show up and you got somebody like Peter Berg yelling at the camera to find certain shots while we’re in the middle of a take. The idea of always being on and prepared to adapt and improv, I definitely take that with me.”
While Jordan and Plemons have continued working in the years since FNL wrapped in 2011, they’ve also experienced plenty of personal milestones.
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“Look at you, man. You’re a whole father of two, and a husband and a phenomenal actor, bro,” Jordan told Plemons. “I’m so proud of you, man. You take on these characters, and a lot of them feel like outsiders.”
Plemons is married to actress Kirsten Dunst, with whom he shares two sons, and they often collaborate on the big screen.
“I make playlists that are way, way too long for every project, and now Kirsten asks me to make playlists for her,” Plemons said on Saturday, offering brief insight into his marriage. “I like to make very long playlists, put it on shuffle and just see where it takes me. Anything that can get you out of [your head], because it’s a fine line between preparation, making sure no stone is left unturned, and then, ‘That’s enough thinking. It’s just time to jump in and see what happens.’”
