Taye Diggs Sets TV Return After ‘All American’ Exit

Fans of All American still in mourning following the death of Taye Diggs’ Billy Baker, should mourn no more because he has officially set his first TV role since leaving The CW series! Diggs will be guest starring in the May 5 episode of CBS’ cop procedural S.W.A.T. as Hondo’s longtime friend, Danny Wright. In the episode, “All That Glitters,” which is directed by S.W.A.T.‘s own Jay Harrington, Marine squad leader Danny enlists Hondo’s help when his daughter goes missing.

Not much else is known about his role, but it sounds like his character, Danny and Hondo, go way back, so it’s going to be fun to see the dynamic between the two of them. With Diggs having more free time following his All American departure, depending on if for Season 7, perhaps this guest-starring role could turn into a recurring role. Or, at the very least, he’ll pop by every once in a while and for matters that are much happier than his daughter going missing.

S.W.A.T. marks Taye Diggs’ first role since leaving All American earlier this year. The actor portrayed coach and former NFL player Billy Baker since the beginning of the football drama, leaving in Season 5, Episode 11. In “Time,” while on the way back from a football game, the school bus carrying the athletes, plus Billy, crashes. In an attempt to rescue all of the students, Billy went back on the bus to help one more student but didn’t make it out in time, and the bus fell off a cliff.

The death was as shocking as ever and emotional, and the series hasn’t shied from making sure Billy Baker, and Taye Diggs, still have an impact on it and the characters. While it’s going to be great to see Diggs back on TV, after seeing him as Billy for five years and 80 episodes, it is going to be a bit weird. However, with him on screen with Hondo and 20-Squad, it should be pretty entertaining.

Taye Diggs’ episode of S.W.A.T. is still over a week away, but seeing him again, no matter in what capacity, should be worth it. Hopefully, his appearance has a happier ending than All American because I’m not sure I or fans would be able to go through that heartbreak a second time, especially so soon after.