Taye Diggs has returned to television in a brand-new capacity: as a judge on the competition show Second Chance Stage. But leading up to this latest gig, the talented performer has certainly kept busy with a wide variety of acting roles over the years, plus hosting the coveted Critics’ Choice Awards a number of times. Fans of The CW’s offerings might know him best as “Coach” from the hit series All American — and were probably bummed when Diggs’ character was abruptly killed off during season 5. Luckily, series followers were able to see Diggs make a strange return in the latest season — as a ghost — and MovieWeb recently caught up with the talented performer to ask about his experience on the show overall, especially after his little Season 6 comeback.
“I felt lucky. I consider myself athletic — I’m not an athlete — so it was great to be surrounded by these physical specimens, learning from them,” said Diggs. “My son’s an athlete, so that show was life-changing in that it affected, you know, me and my son’s relationship with each other. We were able to watch a program together that we both somewhat understood, and just to learn about, you know, athletes and what you guys go through, and just the respect that I gained [from them].” Diggs continued:

“I mean, growing up, the stereotype is that athletes are… they can run fast, but not too much is going on upstairs. These athletes, some of them are brilliant. And you have to have a such a high level of intelligence just to comprehend certain plays and, you know, audibles. There’s so much to it that I didn’t realize. So that’s always great learning, you know, a new vocabulary. And… I loved when I was at the airport, people would call me ‘Coach.’ That was really, really cool, really cool. So I’m thankful for that opportunity.”

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Emmanuel Acho on Revisiting Your ‘Second Chance’

These days, Second Chance Stage on Max sees Diggs alongside SNL standout Heidi Gardner and country superstar Martina McBride to oversee contestants seeking to revisit their long-lost passions for a potential shot at stardom. The show features a wide variety of performers, from singers to stand-up comedians, and each episode is hosted by NFL player-turned-media personality Emmanuel Acho. Diggs was joined by Acho for our recent interview about their new competition show, where Acho took time to explain the sentimental significance behind Second Chance Stage:

“Life is all about individuals who are willing to give you a second chance and individuals who you’re willing to give a second chance, whether it’s relationally, occupationally, spiritually, emotionally. And this show, it is a perfect depiction of what we need to do more of in society.”

“We may all have different reasons for our first chance not succeeding, and oftentimes it’s of no fault of our own,” added Acho. “Many of the contestants on this show, their parent got sick, and so they had to leave their hometown to go back to tend to their ailing mom, their dad who had cancer. And then, now in their early 40s, they’re revisiting their ‘second chance.’ Rather than judging someone for having failed on the first chance, let’s just lend a hand on the second chance and see what they make of it.” Second Chance Stage is now streaming on Max through the link below. All American is streaming on The CW, and the new season premieres Jan. 29, 2025.
Watch Second Chance Stage