Two former “Friday Night Lights” stars sat down recently to reminisce about their shared past and celebrate their dramatically different—yet equally impressive—career trajectories since the beloved football drama ended in 2011.
Michael B. Jordan has become a blockbuster powerhouse through his collaborations with director Ryan Coogler, starring in the “Black Panther” and “Creed” franchises, plus 2025’s critically acclaimed “Sinners.”
Jesse Plemons carved out a niche as indie cinema’s go-to character actor, delivering memorable performances in everything from “Breaking Bad” to Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest surreal offering, “Bugonia.”
Their conversation reveals the lasting impact of that Texas high school football show—and how two actors can find success following completely different paths.
Friday Night Lights: The Foundation
Jordan joined “Friday Night Lights” as new blood after Season 2, entering an already-established ensemble cast. He remembers feeling like the outsider walking into a tight-knit family.
That anxiety evaporated at his first cast dinner when Kyle Chandler stood up to explain what working on the show would really be like.
You got somebody like Peter Berg yelling at the camera— ‘All right, turn left!’ — 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.
For Plemons, an original cast member, the show represented something revolutionary for network television. Director Peter Berg’s anarchic approach gave actors unprecedented freedom to improvise and explore.
That show felt like anarchy, especially for a network television show. That show taught me that really good work can come out of that sense of play and exploration.
Both actors credit this experimental environment with shaping their approach to performance—teaching them to embrace uncertainty and trust their instincts.
Different Paths, Similar Principles
Plemons: The Character Actor’s Character Actor
After “Friday Night Lights,” Plemons built his career playing outsiders, weirdos, and morally ambiguous characters across prestige television and independent film.
His role in “Bugonia” exemplifies this trajectory perfectly. He plays Teddy, a conspiracy theorist who kidnaps a pharmaceutical CEO to prevent an alien takeover—a bizarre premise requiring total commitment.
I’ve been drawn to characters that take some time to figure out, and are not easily pegged and understood. Because that’s my experience with most people. A lot of people could be going through a whole world inside that you have no idea about.
For Teddy specifically, Plemons imagined him as “this wiry creature of the forest that was just hungry and scraping by.” He even wore shoes that were too small—a physical constraint that helped lock him into character.
Working with Lanthimos for a second time (after “Kinds of Kindness”) gave Plemons a crucial advantage: established trust that allowed him to take bigger creative risks.
Jordan: The Blockbuster Artist
Jordan’s partnership with Ryan Coogler has defined his post-“Friday Night Lights” career, producing five films together including the massive success “Sinners.”
In “Sinners,” Jordan faced perhaps his greatest acting challenge: playing identical twin brothers in a vampire-infested Jim Crow South. The film became both a critical darling and commercial hit, giving Hollywood a much-needed boost.
Playing twins required meticulous preparation and organization. Jordan started by exploring how childhood trauma manifested differently in each brother—one internalizing pain silently, the other masking it with charisma.
Understanding that those are two sides of me also helped.
But Jordan didn’t stop at psychological preparation. Physical choices grounded each character distinctly:
- Stack wore shoes too small to make him antsy and unable to sit still
- Smoke wore shoes a size too big and moved less, creating a calmer physical presence
- Gold caps altered Stack’s mouth and changed how he spoke naturally
The Technical Challenge of Playing Twins
Jordan’s process for shooting scenes with both brothers reveals organized chaos at its finest. He worked with an unsung hero: a twin double who stood in for whichever brother Jordan wasn’t currently playing.
His method followed a specific pattern for each scene:
- Run through as the other brother first to show the double exactly where he’d be
- Predetermine all choices for that brother to establish continuity
- Do a second rehearsal as the brother he’d film first
- Shoot several takes as that brother
- Return to trailer, change wardrobe, and mentally transition
- Shoot the scene again as the second brother
The time that I would go to my trailer and change would be my time to unravel one and build the other one up. Music was really helpful to listen to as I took off a piece of clothing and put another one on.
Music became Jordan’s transition tool—curated playlists helped him shift perspectives between brothers during costume changes.
The approach impressed Plemons, who admitted the technical complexity made him nervous just thinking about it.
Music as Performance Tool
Both actors revealed they use music extensively in preparation, though their approaches differ slightly.
Jordan uses specific playlists to embody different characters and transition between emotional states during filming.
Plemons creates extremely long playlists for every project—so long that his partner Kirsten Dunst now requests he make them for her roles too. He puts them on shuffle and lets the music guide his emotional exploration.
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.’
For “Bugonia,” composer Jerskin Fendrix created the entire score before filming began—without reading the script or visiting set. Lanthimos gave him just five words: “bees,” “basement,” “spaceship,” “Emma bald.”
That unconventional approach produced brilliant results that helped Plemons find Teddy’s emotional landscape.
The Name Game: Growing Up Michael Jordan
When Plemons asked about Jordan’s heroes growing up, the conversation took an unexpected turn into identity and motivation.
Jordan revealed he didn’t look up to many celebrities as a kid—his parents set his standards. But sharing a name with the Michael Jordan created something else entirely: a competitive chip on his shoulder.
Your name is important. It’s how you introduce yourself and how the world responds to you. But when there’s another guy out there who’s the guy, I think it created a healthy chip [on my shoulder]. Wanting to be competitive. Wanting your own identity in a way.
The twist? Jordan’s father is also named Michael Jordan—he’s older than the basketball legend. So the actor never had a chance at avoiding the comparison.
Plemons noted the irony: both Michael Jordans are famous for using that competitive chip as fuel. It’s working for both of them.
Brotherhood Across Distance
Despite not seeing each other much over two decades, both actors expressed genuine pride in the other’s accomplishments.
Jordan reminisced about playing basketball with Plemons at 24 Hour Fitness during filming, praising his surprisingly strong athletic ability and shooting skills.
Plemons marveled at Jordan playing twins in “Sinners,” noting how both characters felt completely lived-in without turning into an “actor show.”
It feels like someone from my high school is out there doing amazing things. When good people do great things, it feels like a win for everyone. So happy for you. So proud of you.
Their reunion demonstrates how “Friday Night Lights” created more than just a TV show—it built lasting connections between artists who would go on to shape entertainment in their own distinct ways.
From Texas football fields to Marvel blockbusters and Yorgos Lanthimos fever dreams, both actors carried forward the lessons of improvisation, trust, and fearless exploration they learned together decades ago.