Friday night lights movie cast is diverse and even portrays two real-life coaches. Besides, Friday night lights is an American sports drama film based on H. G Bissinger’s novel, Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team and a Dream.
This movie won Best Sports Movie ESPY Award and was ranked among the top 50 Best High School Movies on Entertainment Weekly’s list.
Also, on October 3, 2006, a T.V. series named Friday night lights premiered on NBC.
Peter Berg directed this movie, Brian Grazer produced it, and Colby Parker Jr., David Rosenbloom, and Gabrielle Fasulo edited it.
However, the production company was Imagine Entertainment, and Universal Pictures distributed it.
This movie was officially released in the U.S. on October 8, 2004, and ran for 118 minutes (1hr 58mins). Additionally, this movie grossed $62 million on the Box Office.
The movie is about the coach and players of the 1988 Permian High School Panthers football team. This high school football team is in Odessa, Texas.
The town is obsessed with football to an unhealthy degree and strongly supports the team. Furthermore, in 1988, the city had high expectations for the players and their coach to win a state championship.
Odessa’s high expectation leads the players to party frequently so they can deal with the pressure.
Anyways, this article will provide some insight on the Friday night light movie cast.
1. Billy Bob Thornton
Billy played Coach Gary Gaines in the Friday night light movie cast. Coach Gary is not just a fictional character. He is a real-life coach that was portrayed in the movie.
Billy was the head coach of the 1988 Permian High School football team.
He coached for about four decades, coaching eight high schools and two college football teams, all based in Texas.
Additionally, Coach Gary faced constant pressure and criticism from fans, the booster club, and the lofty expectations of being the head coach of the Permian High School Panthers football team.
Even though Gary didn’t win the state championship with the team in 1988, he led Permian to an undefeated state championship in 1989.
Furthermore, Billy is a 65 years old award-winning American actor, musician, and filmmaker. He is best known for his roles in One False Move, Sling Blade, Armageddon, Primary Colors, and A Simple Plan.
2. Lucas Black
Lucas played the role of Mike Winchell in the Friday night light movie cast. Mike is the starting quarterback for Permian.
He was trained and expected always to pass the ball to Miles on the field. Mike is primarily level-headed but prone to nerves.
Although his play is unspectacular like Miles’s, they are effective. Just like other members of the team, he feels pressure from the town and the press.
Even though he didn’t win the 1988 state championship, the movie showed he lived a successful life after his football career ended.
Additionally, Lucas is a 38 years old American actor. He is best known for his roles in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Get Low, Sling Blade, Crazy in Alabama, Flash, All the Pretty Horses, and the series American Gothic, among others.
3. Garret Hedlund
Garret played Don Billingsley in the Friday night light movie cast. Don is a fullback who has trouble handling the ball, which leads to him frequently having issues with the coaches.
Don is also known for his activities off the field, including womanizing, drinking, and fighting.
Additionally, Don has an abusive, alcoholic father, Charles, a star player for the Permian in the late 1960s and won a state championship with the team.
However, over time in the movie, Don improved his football skill and became a valuable team member.
The film revealed that Don also went on to live a successful life after his football career ended.
Moreover, Garret is a 36 years old American actor, singer, and model. He is best known for his roles in Pan, Four Brothers, Troy, Country Strong, On the Road, Unbroken, Mudbound, and Triple Frontier.
4. Derek Luke
Derek played the role of James “Bobbie” Miles in the Friday night light movie cast. Miles is the star running back.
The town of Odessa expected the coach to win the state championship with him. He showed brilliance in the previous season, so the 1988 season was his season to shine and bring home the crown with the team.
Additionally, significant colleges such as Nebraska, Oklahoma, U.S.C., Texas A&M, etc., were recruiting Miles.
However, he sustained an injury in the first game of the season. Despite Miles’s hope of returning to play football, he never fully recovered and eventually quit the team.
When Permian prepared for the playoffs, Miles cleared out his locker and was seen crying in his uncle’s car about his bleak future in football. However, Miles returned to support the team at the playoffs from the sidelines.
Furthermore, Derek is a 47 years old American actor. He is best known for his roles in Antwone Fisher, Captain America: The First Avenger, Madea Goes to Jail, definitely: Maybe, and the series 13 Reasons Why, Empire, God Friended Me, among others.
5. Jay Hernandez
Jay played the role of Brian Chavez in the Friday night light movie cast. Brian is a safety tight end and defensive lineman.
Additionally, in the novel, the movie was based on Brain is brilliant. He became the valedictorian of his class and went on to attend Harvard University after graduating from high school.
Also, he is seen as a diamond among rocks, an example of good in Odessa. In addition, the movie shows that he went on to live a successful life after his football career ended.
Moreover, Jay is a 43 years old American actor and fashion model. He is best known for his roles in Crazy/Beautiful, Hostel, Bad Moms, Suicide Squad, Toy Story 4, and Bright.
6. Lee Jackson
Lee played the role of Ivory Christian in the Friday night light movie cast. Ivory is a linebacker for the team who is a punishing hitter with excellent reflexes and athleticism. Just like his name, Christian is a religious person.
Additionally, he barely enjoys playing football, believing that there is more to life than football.
He spends most of his time pondering on life. Lee is the only senior player from the 1988 team who got a Division I football scholarship.
He attended Texas Christian University after graduating from high school. Furthermore, Lee is a 41 years old American actor.
7. Lee Thompson Young
Young played the role of Chris Comer in the Friday night light movie cast. Chris is the third-stringer who replaced Miles when he has torn his ACL. during the first game of the season.
Chris went into the game unprepared and cost the team several games before he started improving. He helped the Permian get to the playoffs.
Moreover, Young was a 29 years old American actor who died on August 19, 2012. He is best known for his roles in Akeelah and the Bee, Mano, The Famous Jett Jackson, Smallville, Scrubs, The Good Guys, and Rizzoli & Isles.
8. Tim McGraw
Tim played the role of Charles Billingsley in the Friday night light movie cast. Charles is Don’s alcoholic, an abusive father.
He was a star player in Permian in the late 1960s and won a state championship.
Additionally, in one of the scenes, Don fights with his father after a game. The next day, this dad apologizes.
He stated that the state championship was the best thing that happened to him, and he no longer has anything to be happy about except those memories of winning the tournament.
Furthermore, Tim is a 54 years American country singer, guitarist, record producer, and actor.
He has won some musical awards, including three Grammy Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, 11 Country Music Association, 3 People’s Choice Awards, and 10 American Music Awards.
Also, he is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. In addition, some of his acting roles are in Dirty Girls, Country Strong, and Tomorrowland, among others.
9. Connie Britton
Connie played the role of Sharon Gaines in the Friday night light movie cast. Sharon is Coach Gary’s wife.
Moreover, Connie is a 54 years American actress, producer, and singer. She is best known for her role in The Last Winter, The Fighting Fitzgeralds, Lost at Home, Nashville, American Horror Story, and Apocalypse.
10. Julius Tennon
Julius played the role of Coach Freddie James in the Friday night light movie cast. Coach Freddie is not just a fictional character.
He is a real-life football coach portrayed in the movie. Before being a coach, Freddie played football in the Prairie View A&M in the late 1950s, worked in a steel plant for some years, then worked as a physical therapist in Houston, Texas.
Furthermore, he became the head coach of David W. Carter High School, Dallas, Texas, in 1982. His team won the 1988 state championship against Permian, though the title was later forfeited because of eligibility infringements.
In 1996, he was inducted into the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame.
Moreover, Julius is a 67 years old award-winning American actor and producer who is married to Viola Davis.
He is best known for his work in The Woman King, Lila & Eve, Custody, and Riverbend.
11. Connie Cooper
Cooper played the role of Mrs. Winchell in the Friday night light movie cast. Mrs. Winchell is Mike’s mum.
Besides, Cooper is an American actress who is best known for her roles in Carried Away (1996), Rush (1991), A Perfect World (1993), The Evening Star (1996), and Wild Texas Wind (1991), among others.
12. Amber Heard
Amber played the role of Maria in the Friday night light movie cast. Besides, Amber is a 35 years old American actress who was formerly the wife of Johnny Depp.
She is best known for her role in Justice League, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Aquaman, Alpha Dog, Spin, and Drop Dead Sexy.
13. Stephen Bishop
Stephen played the role of Loie Harris in the Friday night light movie cast. Besides, Stephen is 50 years old American actor and retired baseball player.
He is best known for his role in Grey’s Anatomy, C.S.I.: Miami, The Mentalist, Hart of Dixie, Royal Pains, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Run the World, among others.
14. Christian Kane
Christian played the role of Brain in the Friday night light movie cast. Moreover, Christian is a 49 years old American actor, singer, and songwriter.
He is best known for his role in Leverage, Angel, Into the West, The Librarians, Just Married, Secondhand Lions, and Taxi.
15. Brad Leland
Brad played the role of John Aubrey in the Friday night light movie cast. Moreover, Brad is a 66 years old American actor who has featured in over 100 feature films, T.V. shows, and theater performances.
However, he is best known for his role for Hancock, Inside Man, The Ringer, Land, The Last Whistle, An American Story, Veep, and C.S.I.: Miami.
16. Grover Coulson
Grover played the role of L. V. Miles in the Friday night light movie cast. Besides, Grover is a 73 years old American actor who is best known for his role in A Ghost Story, Gallows Road, Walker Texas Ranger, and Road House 2: Last call.
17. Kasey Stevens
Kasey played the role of Flippy in the Friday night light movie cast. Moreover, Kasey is an American actress best known for her role in D.E.B.S., Stop-Loss, Life or Something Like it, Can’t Get Enough, and Clown Hunt.
18. Morgan Farris
Morgan played the role of Jennifer Gaines in the Friday night light movie cast. She is Coach Gaines’ daughter.
Moreover, Morgan is a 31 years old American actress best known for her role in Infamous, On Second Thought, The Jerk, and Dead-End Falls.
19. Ryanne Duzich
Ryanne played Melissa in the Friday night light movie cast. Besides, Ryanne is a 37 years old American actress best known for her role in Kill Theory.
Some other people made cameos in the movie;
20. Roy Williams
A 39 years old former N.F.L. wide receiver and Permian alumnus, made a cameo as the assistant coach for Midland Lee, Permian’s arch-rival in the movie.
21. Ty Law
Ty Law is a 47 years old former N.F.L. cornerback, made an appearance in the movie as a wide receiver for Dallas Carter, the team that won the 1988 state championship game.
He was wearing Jersey No. 2, with the last name Graf. Also, he was the one who caught a one-handed touchdown pass in the state championship game against Permian.
22. The real James “Bobbie” Miles
He played the role of Permian assistant coach in the movie. Although he did not say anything in the film, he could be seen several times.
One of those times being in the locker room scene at halftime in the state championship game, when Coach Gaines was giving his speech. He was standing close to the fictional Miles.
