Is All American Season 6 Bringing Billy Baker Back As A 'Jedi Force Ghost'?
The CW's "All American" has garnered a devoted following since premiering in 2018, and the series hit even greater heights when it began streaming on Netflix, with the sports drama serving as the streamer's most popular show in March 2020.
Based on the life of former linebacker Spencer Paysinger, "All American" focuses on his analog, Spencer James (Daniel Ezra), as he follows his football dreams from South Crenshaw to the ritzy Beverly Hills High, finally soaring as a Golden Angeles Condor. Spencer's orbit of teammates and coaches is just as important, with Coach Billy Baker (Taye Diggs) perhaps the most significant adult character.
In the Season 5 episode "Time," Billy tragically dies in a bus accident, shocking the "All American" fanbase. However, he might not be completely absent from the upcoming 6th season of "All American." In an appearance on "Live with Kelly and Mark," Diggs revealed that he would reprise his deceased character from beyond the grave. "I think I'm going to come back as, like, a ghost and talk to my son and my favorite player." He then put on an inflated mentor voice and added, "Make sure you play your best. Remember what I always told you.' One of those things."
Billy will act as a ghostly mentor
In the same appearance on "Live with Kelly and Mark," Taye Diggs explained how he knew it was time for his "All American" departure. "As an actor, there are times when you feel in your spirit and your soul that you kind of need to move on," he said. "I expressed that to our showrunner, and she immediately understood and started working on a very classy exit."
Shortly after the character's mid-Season 5 death, showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll hinted that Billy Baker would stick around in some shape or form. "We wish Taye the very best in this next chapter of his life and he remains a beloved member of the 'All American' family," she told The Hollywood Reporter, "so you haven't seen the last of Billy Baker."
Diggs confirmed his new, more spectral role on "All American" to TVLine, saying he would reappear "in the context of the boys are struggling, and they kind of envision me giving sage advice," which his interviewer likened to a sort of "Jedi Force ghost." Indeed, Force ghosts are a recurring part of the "Star Wars" universe, with Obi-Wan, Luke, and Rey all serving as mentors after their deaths. It's a trope that appears in everything from "The Lion King" to "Harry Potter" to "Hamlet." Billy will serve a similar purpose for Spencer, Jordan (Michael Evans Behling), and perhaps other members of the "All American" family come Season 6.