Zach Gilford talks about leaving 'Friday Night Lights'
Matt Saracen turned down a chance to leave small-town Dillon, and Zach Gilford is just as reluctant to say goodbye to "Friday Night Lights."
Gilford, who appears only in a handful of episodes this season, says he knows the high-school setting means characters will leave as they graduate. That doesn't mean he's going quietly.
"I literally said to my girlfriend: 'This is such a good show. I'm [angry] to be leaving,'" Gilford tells The LATimes' Show Tracker's Todd Martens. "It makes sense for my character, but it's so quality, and it's so fun to work on."
Gilford gives a long, nuanced look at Matt's character, what kept him tethered to his small-town life and why it was time for his character to leave.
"He's always been the guy who put everyone ahead of himself, and this season he did it again," he tells Show Tracker. "That's why he was still in Dillon. His arc this year is figuring out that it's time for him to put himself ahead of everyone else, and realize that it's not going to be the end of the world if he does that."
(Be warned: The interview contains spoilers for those who have to wait for the episodes to air on NBC.)
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Photo credit: NBC
He is amazing! His scenes last week when his dad died were so emotional, so moving. He was also great in the scene last year when coach had to throw him in the bathtub, he broke down when he said that everyone in his life left him. He deserves an emmy......I will miss his character, hope he gets a good send off like Jason Street and Smash.