All Star

Taye Diggs Scores With The Cw’s Drama All American

- Alex Bhattacharji

NESTLED INSIDE CENTRAL PERK CAFÉ ON THE WARNER BROS. studio lot, Taye Diggs sits at an out-of-the-way table, thumbing through a shooting script of All American, the new drama from The CW in which he stars as Billy Baker, a football coach at Beverly Hills’ affluent high school. When Baker becomes a mentor to talented teen Spencer James (Daniel Ezra), he takes the student out of hardscrabble south central Los Angeles and into his home. Pushing a straw fedora back on his head, Diggs rubs a well-trimmed beard flecked with the occasional gray hair—a sign that the actor has not been frozen in amber during his two-plus decades on stage and screen. It’s also a reminder that, at 47, he has achieved a new level of maturity that he wears easily, as he sips a smoothie of açai and antioxidants that he jokes is “good for fighting aging.”

The years have certainly been kind to him. Even at this star-studded studio, people snap their necks when they catch sight of him. Indeed, his presence is commanding—a broad, chiseled jawline framing an unnervingly attractive amalgam of features. Today Diggs is wearing a bold short-sleeve shirt—a patchwork of kente cloth-like patterns—red-striped sweatpants, and limited edition purple and black retro Air Jordans with neon green laces. As sneaker aficionados appreciate his collectible footwear, those familiar with Diggs’ career have occasion to ponder its breadth, excellence, and influence.