That would have been special. And what was your reaction to Ryan losing? Matt: Perhaps. 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. That’s where everything starts, as an actor. Like Tyra? She’s a ton of fun to work with and we were lucky to have her on the show. Amy: Maybe you guys can fender bench together again. Matt: Yeah, that certainly helped. It hasn’t been easy and nothing has felt safe yet. It has happened on several occasions. I watch A LOT of tv shows and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Amy: Alicia Witt (from Friday Night Lights) was on your show, what was it like to see a familiar face? 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. 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. Matthew "Matt" Lauria (born June 22, 1984) is an American actor and musician. We had a couple of them, but not many and I would have liked some more with him. LAURIA:  I think we all knew, going into it, that it was going to take everything we could possibly muster. You can follow me on Twitter @iAMart_22. But outside his comforts, push him into a place of pretty hot, emotional extremes. So you have to have the license to be able to keep screaming, yelling, and coaching her. You have to maintain a superstar mentality, like he has to believe he’s the greatest fighter in the world or he cannot do what he does and those things really brought up against his ability of to have that confidence. As CBS’ revival of “CSI” is nearing a series pickup, three actors have been added to the cast. Matt Lauria has a title to defend. That makes for a lot of internal and external conflict. Matt: I always loved my scenes with (Tim) Riggins. May the best man win,” or is there an ulterior motive? Matt: I didn’t know Ryan lost the fight until I read the script. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. This is a character who clearly was on one path in his life, and then got detoured a bit, and now he has to rediscover himself and what he wants to do with his life. Does he really consider Alvey the alpha now, or is it just a tactic? Do you then revert back to where your former confidence positioned you? I think word of mouth has done a ton for the show. Push forward!’ Then you say your one line and you’re sitting there watching the fight happening and it just falls flats. Matt: I think Ryan is always walking a very precarious tight rope. Is he still in the army? (Note: This interview has been edited for clarity.). ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Obviously, this is a very big and emotional episode with Ryan’s return. 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. Collider:  How did you come to this show? Matt Lauria talks KINGDOM, fighting for his role, his character's duality, the show's exhausting physical element, and more. I loved working with Derek Phillips. I think Derek would be the most immaculate, kind of a sleazy promoter. Matt Lauria Recalls Auditioning for ‘Friday Night Lights’ During the ATX Television Festival Former MMA legend and gym owner Alvey Kulina (Frank Grillo) is so focused on turning his youngest son, Nate (Nick Jonas), into the prized fighter that his oldest son, Jay (Jonathan Tucker), was too unfocused and unpredictable to become. But then, I told them that I was really interested in the Ryan role, and that took some convincing. When I acknowledged our relationship – they just kind of melted. 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. I felt like we really achieved something together. Amy: Going back to improv, did you have any improv on the show? Make no mistake, the storylines were there and the scripts were beautiful, and detailed and they were there. You’ve gotta have great writing and great character development, and then you have really great materials to work from. They all have twists and turns. Matt: I don’t know about that. It’s about how vulnerable and ugly you’re allowing yourself to be, on the day. Matt Lauria At this point in your career, what are you most looking forward to? I sing my heart out and have my own concert in my living room with my iPod blasting. In this business, you’re not always afforded that opportunity, early on. I get lost in the different worlds of books. 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. Matt Lauria, Actor: Kingdom. 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. To hear Lauria talk about it, Dr. Phillips Center was almost like a boot camp, one that he came to love. Matt: You know who I’m dying to see on the show? 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. I feel fortunate that, by default, I’ve been able to bounce around. Matt Lauria knows how to play rough. CSI Revival: Matt Lauria, Mel Rodriguez and Paula Newsome Join CBS' In-the-Works Sequel Series. I played a detective on a show one time, and then there was an opportunity that came up afterward to play a young rookie agent, and that didn’t feel like the right step. All that, all those gems, those were finely crafted by the hands and minds of our extraordinary, gifted writers and Jason Katims . So I think it drives Ryan into a very uncomfortable place, especially as a superstar. 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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 … This role presented those types of scary challenges in spades, and that was such a big part of the draw. But, it really comes down to character. 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. At a certain point, there’s no turning back. He just keeps walking this very treacherous path. 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Lauria, who also played Luke Cafferty on Friday Night Lights , spoke to us about the show’s upcoming reunion tailgate this Friday, June 10 as part of the ATX Festival based in Austin, Texas. Aldis Hodge is a great dude, great actor. So, what it mostly came down to was that it was a lot to take on. He has been married to Michelle Armstrong since August 26, 2006. Amy: He has quite a temper and lost so much, do you think there’s going to be some light for him at some point? I never had any scenes with Tyra. Is Ryan really as okay with Alvey and Lisa being together as he tells them he is? 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? Matt: Not nearly as much as Friday Night Lights or Parenthood, but there’s an aspect to improv, I mean mostly what you see on the screen is what’s Byron (Balasco) has written and crafted so meticulously, but given the nature of the show there are elements of improvisation especially in the cage. I mean you’re friends with somebody, it’s a little awkward at first making out with them and having sex with them on screen, because you’re buddies. LAURIA:  Well, that is just delicious for an actor to try to tackle. (Laughs) Or a gym teacher or something like that. That’s not just with the physical stuff, that’s with the acting, too. I would have loved to do scenes with Louanne (Stephens) and I would have loved to have gotten into a fight with VooDoo Tatum. LAURIA:  It’s an interesting question because I love the character and I love the show and I love the people that I work with. … I agree with you—it opens the door for other things. From a very superficial level, I wouldn’t have wanted to do another football show right after Friday Night Lights because I wouldn’t want people to just think that I’m the guy that plays a football player. We talked to him last week about that, the MTA, and his co-star Zosia Mamet. Having been a part of one of the best sports show on TV, with Friday Night Lights, did you have any initial hesitation before even reading this, or do you try to see how similar or different something is before making that judgment?