Entertainment

‘Friday Night Lights’ star was homeless, sleeping in New York City subway before finding fame

Years before finding fame on hit shows such as “Friday Night Lights” and “True Detective,” Taylor Kitsch was down on his luck. 

“I was literally sleeping on the subway,” the actor, who moved from Canada to New York City to pursue modeling and acting in 2002, told People magazine. 

“It was a blue train from downtown all the way up to 182nd and at night they’d change, they’d take longer, A, C or E,” he told US Weekly in 2017. 

Kitsch, who was only homeless for less than a month, said things took a turn for the better after meeting his talent manager. 

‘FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS’ STAR TAYLOR KITSCH’S MOVE TO MONTANA: ‘BEING IN LA WAS NEVER A GREAT THING FOR ME’

Taylor Kitsch

Before he found fame, Taylor Kitsch was homeless and sleeping on a NYC subway. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

“She was like, ‘What do you want to do?’ I said, ‘Character pieces,'” he told People. “She was like, ‘All right, I’ll take a risk on you.'”

“All I’ve ever wanted to do is disappear into different characters,” Kitsch added. “It’s never been about leading a show or being in the limelight or money.”

Four years later, Kitsch landed a life-changing role as Tim Riggins on “Friday Night Lights” in 2006. 

“People, for some reason or another, just really gravitated to Riggins,” he told the outlet. “It truly affected my life, and all for the better.”

Taylor Kitsch in a blue button down shirt on the carpet inset a photo of him as Tim Riggins in a blue football uniform in "Friday Night LIghts"

Kitsch is best known for his role as Tim Riggins in “Friday Night Lights.” (Arnold Jerocki/WireImage/NBC/Getty Images)

Despite his success, Kitsch – who currently stars in the Netflix miniseries “American Primeval” – was never a fan of the glitz and glam of Hollywood. 

“I got a later start in the business, and I was able to have a sense of who I was and what I needed,” Kitsch, who moved to Montana in 2023, told The Hollywood Reporter that same year. “Being in L.A. was never a great thing for me, and I love being out here – there’s just so much peace to grasp. That’s what this place represents to me: It’s not going to solve every problem, but hopefully it will help at least one person work toward what they need.”

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These days when he’s not working, Kitsch – who was attracted to Bozeman, Montana, due to his interest in wildlife photography – has been focused on building a space for the veteran and sober/recovery communities.

Taylor Kitsch smiling

Kitsch recently opened up about moving to Montana. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

“I’m just really excited about this, about it being a base camp for people to empower themselves,” said Kitsch, whose sister battled addiction a year prior. 

“I didn’t even know sober escapes existed until I had the crash course with my sis,” Kitsch told People. “I was like, ‘Man, it sounds incredible to offer people a chance to reconnect in nature and slow things down.'”

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