All American is a sports drama series inspired by the life of Spencer Paysinger, a professional American football player. It premiered on The CW in 2018 and is also available to stream on Netflix.
Taye Diggs left All American when his character, Billy Baker, was killed in an accident. Before diving into why Diggs decided to leave the show and his thoughts on returning, let's recap a bit.
Inspired by Spencer Paysinger’s life, All American centers on two families from Beverly Hills and Crenshaw, whose lives clash due to their starkly different backgrounds. The show follows the rise of a talented football player recruited to play for Beverly Hills High.
The cast of this six-season series includes Daniel Ezra as Spencer James, Bre-Z as Coop, Greta Onieogou as Layla Keating, Samantha Logan as Olivia Baker, Michael Evans Behling as Jordan Baker, Cody Christian as Asher Adams, Karimah Westbrook as Grace James, Monet Mazur as Laura Fine-Baker, and Taye Diggs as Billy Baker.
Why did Taye Diggs leave All American?
Taye Diggs left the series in season 5 when his character, Billy Baker, was killed in an accident. While the team and Coach Billy were returning home, their bus blew a tire, causing it to skid toward the edge of a cliff.
Though the players and Coach Billy escaped, the latter returned to the bus to rescue Jamari, leading to his death. This tragic event is revealed later in the episode to the viewers and his onscreen family.
Diggs decided to leave the series because he felt it was the right time for Billy Baker’s story to come to an end. Showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll agreed, saying that the decision was purely narrative-based.
In an interview with TVLine, Diggs explained that he had a gut feeling it was time to leave the series. His fellow cast members were aware of his decision. He shared:
"I was having a great time (on the show). It was just a feeling that I got (that it was time for him to leave), and I just honored that feeling."
He further added,
"It was maybe mid-fourth season. I don't even remember to be honest, because the showrunner 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."
Both Diggs and Carroll were confident in their decision to kill off Billy Baker. They believed his death was not unnecessary, as taking up a college coaching job would have contradicted Billy’s deep commitment to his family.
Did Taye Diggs return to All American?
Taye Diggs returns as Billy Baker in the sixth season of All American. The sixth season released on April 1, 2024. The season shows how the characters are coping with their grief of losing Billy.
At the beginning of season six, Olivia struggles to finish her book about her late father, Billy, while Jordan is uncertain about his future in the NFL. When a high school player reaches out for help, Spencer realizes that there’s more to him than just football.
Laura takes notice of their struggles and realizes how much Olivia and Jordan need their father and Spencer needs his father figure. She gives Billy's letters to Jordan and Olivia, which he had written for their college graduation. Laura gives Spencer the diary in which Billy would write when Spencer first arrived.
As the episode progresses, Diggs reprises his role as Billy Baker in multiple scenes. Returning in a ghost-like appearance, Billy enacts the words he wrote while Spencer, Jordan, and Olivia read them. The end of the episode sees Laura talk to her late husband as he sits next to her in bed.
Carroll, the showrunner also stated that Billy's return was always in the cards. She stated to Variety,
"Before Taye left, I made him promise that if I called, he would come back. And to Taye's credit, from minute one, he was like, 'Anytime you call, I am there. Whatever you need."
She further added,
"I always knew there was no way we were never going to see Billy Baker again."
Will All American return for another season?
All American has been renewed for season 7, with the announcement made in June 2024. However, it remains uncertain if the series will continue beyond season 7, as the network overseeing the show is undergoing changes under Nexstar's new leadership.
While talking to TV Insider, Taye Diggs stated that he would be open to returning to season 7 as Billy Baker. He further expressed how much he enjoyed making a guest appearance in season 6 and would be open to come back in a similar capacity.
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Audiences can catch seasons 1-6 of All American on Netflix and The CW.
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