Fans of the CW’s All American were crushed this week to see (spoiler alert ahead) Taye Diggs’ departure from the show.
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The actor had been a staple on the popular show since 2018 but, like with all good things, his time came to an end on Monday. In a recent interview with TVLine following the airing of his final episode, Diggs opened up about his character’s death on the show and why he was able to be at peace with the decision to part ways.
“It was just a feeling that I got [that I was ready to leave], and I just honored that feeling,” the Best Man star shared. “It was maybe mid-fourth season. I don’t even remember, to be honest, because the showrunner [Nkechi Okoro Carroll] and myself are close. We’d been keeping in contact, so she had known, and we’d been talking. And we decided how to go about it, and storylines and whatnot, so it was all above board, and everyone was in the know.”
In All American, Diggs stars as steady football coach Billy Baker, who served as a mentor and central father-like figure to his “kids” (as Diggs affectionately refers to them as) and students played by Daniel Ezra, Michael Evans Behling, Samantha Logan and more.
“The easiest choice would have been for me to teach at some college,” Diggs later added. “But then given the intensity of the relationships between me and my family, and me and the team, it would not make sense if I was still alive and wasn’t still in contact with these children of mine—these students, these young men that had such an influence on my life. When I was told how I was exiting, I was impressed. [Laughs] No characters I’ve played have ever been dealt with in that fashion. I was honored.”
While Diggs may feel like the departure was honorable, many fans online took to Twitter to express their hurt and frustration at the show’s heartbreaking decision.
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