‘All American’s Taye Diggs: Billy’s Stress Over Playoffs Will ‘Manifest’ In ‘Many Different Ways’

Courtesy of The CW

‘All American’ is back with new episodes on Feb. 27. HL spoke EXCLUSIVELY with star Taye Diggs about playoffs season, Billy’s ‘struggle’ to keep his family intact, the ‘dramatic’ episodes ahead, and more!

All American is getting right into the thick of playoffs season. Coach Billy Baker is not only coaching a high school football team, he’s also coaching his son, Jordan. The pressure to succeed is definitely going to weigh on Billy in the upcoming episodes. “You’ll see it kind of manifest itself in many different ways,” Taye Diggs told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY at SCAD aTVfest. “How it affects his family, how it affects the relationships in his family and on the team. His job is on the line as well. He’s a father, so he’s the coach of the family as well. He’s struggling with his own issues, so he’s trying to coach himself. There’s a lot on the line.”

During the winter finale, Billy switched Jordan’s drug test with his own so Jordan wouldn’t test positive for marijuana. The consequences of Billy’s decision will be played out this season. “I think situations like that are a testament, at least to me, how great the writing is because they show different dimensions of these characters,” Taye continued. “Obviously, he’s a father and a coach. He’s trying to do the right thing, but then they kind of give you real-life situations where, when confronted with a tricky situation, sometimes you do things that aren’t so upstanding. So as an actor, it’s great to play and as a fan, it’s great to watch because as I said you’re not just seeing these white-washed characters who are one-dimensional.”

Billy’s daughter, Olivia, recently opened up about her ongoing struggle to stay sober. In the midst of football season, Olivia has gotten lost in the shuffle. Taye noted that Billy will actively be trying to make sure Olivia feels noticed and seen. “It’s an ongoing struggle where all of us are trying to do the right thing,” Taye told HollywoodLife. “The parents more so than the kids because that’s what we’re supposed to do, so you’re going to continue to see this whole family dynamic struggle to do what we all think is right.”

The CW boss Mark Pedowitz said at the TCA winter press tour that episode 15 of the show “the best TV you’ve ever seen.” Taye agreed with that and added, “From here on out it gets pretty dramatic. Family dynamics and relationships are being put under a lot of stress, people are being forced to make decisions we don’t want to make, truths are coming out, so it’s a lot.” All American airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on The CW.