The ‘Friday Night Lights’ star was homeless and sleeping on the New York City subway before he became famous


Years before finding fame on hit shows like “Friday Night Lights” and “True Detective,” Taylor Kitsch was unlucky with his luck.

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

“It was a blue train from downtown all the way to 182nd and at night they would transfer, it would take longer, A, C or E,” he said American weekly in 2017.

Kitsch, who had only been 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 became famous, Taylor Kitsch was homeless and sleeping on the New York subway. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

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

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

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

“People were just really drawn to Riggins for some reason,” he told the outlet. “It really impacted my life, and all for the better.”

Taylor Kitsch in a blue button-up shirt on the carpet posted a photo of him as Tim Riggins in a blue football uniform "Friday evening 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 glamor of Hollywood.

“I started in the business later and got a sense of who I was and what I needed,” said Kitsch, who moved to Montana in 2023. The Hollywood Reporter that same year. “Being in LA was never a great thing for me, and I love being here – there is just so much peace to understand. That’s what this place represents to me: It won’t solve every problem, but hopefully it will help at least one person work on what he or she needs.”

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These days, when he’s not working, Kitsch — who was drawn to Bozeman, Montana because of his interest in nature photography — has focused on building a space for the veteran and sober/recovering communities.

Taylor Kitsch smiles

Kitsch recently talked about his move to Montana. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

“I’m really excited about this because it’s a base camp where people can empower themselves,” said Kitsch, whose sister battled addiction a year earlier.

“I didn’t even know sober escapes existed until I got the crash course with my sister,” Kitsch told People. “I thought, ‘Man, it sounds incredible to offer people the opportunity to reconnect in nature and slow things down.’”

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