Is he as contrite as he behaves? It’s just been never easy whether it’s the Keith stuff, the murder, or whether it’s the Lisa stuff and ultimately Lisa losing her child, or whether it’s struggling just to get a good decent paycheck for fighting. He’s just a very unusual man. I don’t think our boss would tell us (before hand). Matt: My favorite thing about playing Ryan Wheeler is how difficult he is to read, how you never quiet know what Ryan is thinking, or what he’s going to do next. The fight was planned. That was a gem. Having worked at Collider for over a decade (since 2009), her primary focus is on film and television interviews with talent both in front of and behind the camera. But I’m very invested in Ryan, so of course I didn’t like that he lost. Kingdom star Matt Lauria recently spoke with The TV Junkies about where Ryan is mentally and what his injury could mean for the fight with Jay. This was well before they were actually auditioning, and I went in and met with some of the producers to talk about the script and how much I loved it and the different characters. It has been the biggest reward. During this exclusive phone interview with Collider, actor Matt Lauria talked about why he fought so hard for this role, how exhausting the physical aspect of the show is, the duality of the character, that all the characters have twists and turns, the high stakes of the situation they’re all in, and how this is a role that he’d love to play for years. It’s about how vulnerable and ugly you’re allowing yourself to be, on the day. He has an American nationality. You can do better. Matt: I think Luke served his four years and then re-up for another four. Not too long ago, someone at a Tijuana Flats restaurant asked me when I introduced myself if I was related to or knew Matt Lauria. CSI Revival: Matt Lauria, Mel Rodriguez and Paula Newsome Join CBS' In-the-Works Sequel Series. Amy: Going back to improv, did you have any improv on the show? It’s been 10 years, why do you think the show continues to gain more fans since then and how does that make you feel? Then I think Riggins would have been like ‘Hey, be cool, Street.’ and then they would have had a couple of beers. The coming out of Matt Lauria would greatly benefit countless homosexuals around the globe who are still in the closet. Matt Lauria has never made any public statement about this, so all rumors about if Matt Lauria is gay remain completely unfounded and unproven. If you’re not intimidated or maybe a little weary of taking on a role, then it may not be challenging enough and it may not be worth doing. The thing I’m most excited about now is taking on roles that depict really layered, deeply psychological characters. Matt Lauria had been wanting to be on “Friday Night Lights” for a while when he got the call that he was cast in the show. Finally, they agreed to see me in January or February, and then I had to go through a series of auditions, and really fight for the role and chase after it. Does he really consider Alvey the alpha now, or is it just a tactic? Aldis Hodge is a great dude, great actor. Matt joined the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in the drama conservatory and received his formal acting training. I mean they’re meticulously choreographed by Joe “Daddy” Stevenson and then Keith Campbell is our stunt coordinator, who makes sure that it looks good on camera, and that we remain safe. Amy: Where do you think Luke is now? Amy: You were kind of introduced late into the series, was there anyone in the earlier seasons you would have liked to worked and have a scene with? Amy: Maybe you guys can fender bench together again. The wait for 'Shadow and Bone' is almost over! If so much of your belief in yourself comes from being a champion and being able to beat people, and helps to define your confidence in yourself, is taken away from you, you’re left in a strange, deflated place that’s so opposite. Matt: You know who I’m dying to see on the show? Matt: No, we love each other and we’re such big fans of one another… Look, anything that elicits some emotional response for me personally as an actor, if losing the fight in the storyline elicits a sad or angry or disappointed emotion for me, Matt, that’s a good thing. He is best known for his roles as Luke Cafferty on the NBC/DirecTV drama Friday Night Lights, Ryan York on the NBC family drama Parenthood, and starred as Ryan Wheeler on the Audience drama Kingdom. I think word of mouth has done a ton for the show. But outside his comforts, push him into a place of pretty hot, emotional extremes. As CBS’ revival of “CSI” is nearing a series pickup, three actors have been added to the cast. Matt Lauria was born in 1982 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. That was an amazing experience that taught me all the things that it had to teach me that I needed to move on to the next thing. So, to see someone who is that extraordinary of an athlete, and who isn’t just a pro that keeps getting fights and doing decently well, but who was a champion at the top of his game, is one in at least a couple thousand or more. That’s not just with the physical stuff, that’s with the acting, too. We all want to do additional seasons, but because it was such hard work, and every department put so much into it, when we finished, there was a feeling of accomplishment, reward and satisfaction that came with that. Matt Lauria has a title to defend. Matt Lauria Recalls Auditioning for ‘Friday Night Lights’ During the ATX Television Festival Matt Lauria talks KINGDOM, fighting for his role, his character's duality, the show's exhausting physical element, and more. That means I’m invested in the character and that means if I can’t bare, if I hated, which I do, I hate it when Ryan loses, then I know that’s good storytelling cause that means I’m locked in with it. (WARNING: which includes spoilers of last night’s episode), ATX Television Festival Recap: A first timer’s experience, The Wonder Years: “Whose Woods Are These”, Riverdale 2x14 "Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Hills Have Eyes" Recap. So, what it mostly came down to was that it was a lot to take on. The character was so deep and complicated and dynamic, and the writing was brilliant. LAURIA:  I think we all knew, going into it, that it was going to take everything we could possibly muster. This role presented those types of scary challenges in spades, and that was such a big part of the draw. Our show doesn’t seem formulaic. Byron Balasco has done such a tremendous job with these characters. To hear Lauria talk about it, Dr. Phillips Center was almost like a boot camp, one that he came to love. If you’re, let’s say sitting outside of the cage, like I was cornering her (Alicia Mendez) in one of the fights and they just can’t write what the guys would say out of the cage cause on the day, let’s say you have four lines of ‘That’s right, Alicia! LAURIA:  No, I didn’t draw the parallel with Friday Night Lights. That makes for a lot of internal and external conflict. But then, as you begin to succeed and regain your confidence, how well will these new values hold up? They initially associated me with what they’d seen before of my work, and there’s a wholesomeness and earnestness about a lot of the characters that I’ve done, and they thought that Nate, the Nick Jonas role, would be an interesting fit. What do Kingdom and Friday Night Lights have in common? They all have twists and turns. We had a couple of them, but not many and I would have liked some more with him. Amy: Alicia Witt (from Friday Night Lights) was on your show, what was it like to see a familiar face? tagged as: #matt lauria #appearances 2019 #catherine hardwicke Make no mistake, the storylines were there and the scripts were beautiful, and detailed and they were there. The kind of confidence it must instill in you to know, physically, what you hold, but then to keep thinking of him as a monster and a killer, you just don’t get it. ... Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Oprah interview was … I feel fortunate that, by default, I’ve been able to bounce around. In this business, you’re not always afforded that opportunity, early on. I think he’s strives and he earnestly is a good boy at heart and strives to do well and do right. Like Tyra? Is he married with Becky? Nothing has worked out so easily. He just keeps walking this very treacherous path. I didn’t know what to expect from my character, and when I read the scripts, I thought, “Holy shit, I did not see that coming!”  It was exciting. That was the healthy challenge that we all had to live up to. I sing my heart out and have my own concert in my living room with my iPod blasting. I think word of mouth spreading from the existing fans has really been the thing that brought in so many new fans because I think those are the people who convince fans who, or who would be fans and say ‘Oh no, I’m not into football, blah, blah, blah.’ I think the original fans and the fans who have seen it are the ones who draw those people in. When I acknowledged our relationship – they just kind of melted. There was some improv with me and Derek in the backyard when we were fender bending. A few years later, Lauria got the role of Ryan Wheeler, a MMA Champion who’s getting ready to defend his title against Jay Kulina (Jonathan Tucker) on Kingdom. Kingdom airs Wednesday nights. I loved working with Derek Phillips. Is he still in the army? You can follow me on Twitter @iAMart_22. “We were fully immersed in this program,” he recalls. There is a ton of improv. What can you tell me about his return and how injured he is? Matt: I didn’t know Ryan lost the fight until I read the script. I never had any scenes with Tyra. It was a little awkward. Lauria and his family relocated to Ireland when he was seven. She is also a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Television Critics Association. Here's What's New to Netflix in April 2021, Matt Lauria Talks KINGDOM, Fighting for His Role, His Character's Duality, The Show's Exhausting Physical Element, and More, More She is a theme park fanatic, which has lead to covering various land and ride openings, and a huge music fan, for which she judges life by the time before Pearl Jam and the time after. Exciting isn’t even a strong enough word. I can see that happening. → Interview – Matt Lauria → posted 2 years ago. I mean there’s gotta be something for the 20 year reunion or something, when we’re all way past high school and looking like it. Did you have any idea how much of a physical transformation you’d actually have to make for this role? Matt Lauria from Friday Night Lights did Dawson Leery, and there’s a point where, ... Our thanks to Bitter — err, Adam Mallinger for taking the time to do this interview! by DirecTV. During ATX TV Festival weekend, I had the opportunity to interview Lauria about Kingdom (WARNING: which includes spoilers of last night’s episode) and Friday Night Lights, and if those two shows would collide. The highly compelling, 10-episode DirecTV drama series Kingdom is a visceral family saga that takes place in Venice, California against the backdrop of the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) subculture. choreography DirecTV Fight interview Kingdom Matt Lauria Ryan Wheeler training TV workout You keep asking these questions of, how sincere is he when he seems accepting of Lisa and Alvey being together? As well, the festival hosted the 10th year reunion for Friday Night Lights at Panthers’ Stadium with a pep rally, a short panel, and screened “The Son” episode underneath the Texas stars. More specifically, his character, Ryan “The Destroyer” Wheeler is the one who will be defending the title he won at the end of last season when Kingdom enters the ring for Round 2 on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 9 p.m. ET.The MMA drama’s action will pick up six months after Ryan’s title fight and airs on DirecTV’s Audience Network. There were things with the characters that I just didn’t see coming, and I would love to play this role for years. At a certain point, there’s no turning back. It’s asymetrical and unexpectedly designed. You know what? (Note: This interview has been edited for clarity.). 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I haven’t been on a given project for five or six years yet, or even four years, because what so many actors are chasing after is an opportunity to evolve and dive into roles that present unique challenges and give you an opportunity to dig your teeth into something unknown, and therefore risky and exciting. It’s similar in some party scenes. So I think he would be great as that or as some horrible drug dealer or something. Matt: Well, I didn’t really see much of her face. So, the way that it all panned out for this was that my manager came across the script around Thanksgiving of last year. This is a guy who’s referred to as a savage, a monster and a killer, but then you see this contrite, penitent, weathered guy whose confidence doesn’t seem to reflect all those references. Matt Lauria: We all had a blast. Amy: Alright, my last question, this is the last (Friday Night Lights) reunion here (at ATX TV Festival), how does that make you feel and do you see the show reuniting somewhere else years later? Matt Lauria: In a really big way. Hopefully after his last four years of the military, he got married, had a couple of kids, and works at a local high school as a coach. Are you satisfied with the journey that your character takes this season, or are you even more anxious to see where things go next? Then there was always a certain aspect that was the unexpected and it really was a beautiful collaboration. Myself, Jonas and Tucker adopted a mantra of, “All in, all the time.”  At the end of a long shooting day, or at the end of a long training day, you can make it look committed and as though you’re exhausting everything you have, but you’re the only one who really knows how much you’re giving and how much is left in the tank and if you’re really pushing yourself to your absolute limit. Amy Martinez: What can we expect this season on Kingdom? So I think it drives Ryan into a very uncomfortable place, especially as a superstar. LAURIA:  Yeah, and that’s an awesome question. The critically-acclaimed drama "Kingdom," from creator, writer and executive producer Byron Balasco, will premiere this summer. He makes a reference to just trying to get by to survive. I'm obsessed with couples from my favorite TV shows. 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You’ve gotta have great writing and great character development, and then you have really great materials to work from. Amy: What is your favorite thing about playing Ryan Wheeler? Then, Jonathan Tucker, with Jay comes with a lot of improv, and when I’m with Paul Walter Hauser, who plays Keith, he improvises a lot and throws a lot of curve balls. He’s never felt like nothing has clicked into gear yet. Parenthood - Season 5 - Matt Lauria Interview Posted by SharpFangs at April 10, 2014 2 Comments Parenthood. And then, what happens when you’ve sat in jail for four years, and you have the best of intentions of what you will do and who you will be after getting out of jail, and how you’ll make all things different and all things right, along with that comes obstacles you can’t anticipate, and it tests your metal. Derek Phillips. Parenthood Mae Whitman Matt Lauria "Together" - H 2012 The former "Friday Night Lights" star talks with THR about the importance of his character on … It’s a tough call because it really comes down to the character and the writing. I love Alicia and she’s great. It has happened on several occasions. Lastly, I love to write. Another commonality between the two shows is Matt Lauria, who played Luke Cafferty in seasons four and five of “FNL,” and whose troubled new character, Ryan Wheeler, is … He read it and was just blown away by the character and the writing. ... (Matt Lauria) comes to the gym after getting out of prison, everything in … He’s just so good at that kind of reel-y deal-y kind of character. Byron Balasco Interview: 'Kingdom' creator talks about the MMA show's Netflix debut. Matt Lauria At this point in your career, what are you most looking forward to? Friday Night Lights’ Zach Gilford joked about Matt and Julie’s relationship and revealed if he would ever be down for a revival — read the interview! Matt: There has been a lot of fans that come to the show after it’s been long off the air. I didn’t think that it was going to be as exhausting as it was ‘cause I like being athletic and I enjoy physical activity, but it really required a lot. All of them are thrown really sharp, fast curve balls that just sends them spiraling. Matthew "Matt" Lauria (born June 22, 1984) is an American actor and musician. Exclusive Interview with Matt Lauria June 16, 2016 June 19, 2016 Amy ATX TV Festival has made a name for its self by bringing show creators, writers, and actors together in Austin, TX to talk about their shows and premiere new episodes. (Laughs) Or a gym teacher or something like that. That’s where everything starts, as an actor.