Daniel Ezra might have made his All American exit as a collection common, however he’s nonetheless very a lot concerned within the present.
Nkechi “NK” Okoro Carroll and Jameal “Jamie” Turner, each showrunners and EPs for The CW drama collection, just lately spoke to PEOPLE in an unique interview about Ezra’s swap from actor to director.
“He is down on set proper now,” Carroll says of 33-year-old Ezra, who left in season 6.
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The English actor starred as excessive school-football-star-turned-NFL-pro, Spencer James. His character was loosely based mostly on actual life NFL participant Spencer Paysinger.
Carroll tells PEOPLE that followers can see Ezra “each directing, which is one thing he began doing whereas he was on the present, and visitor starring” in season 7.
“So we get him in entrance of, and behind, the digicam,” she provides.
The showrunner, who additionally labored on Discovered and The Resident, says engaged on a collection that has lasted for seven seasons permits progress for everybody concerned.
“That is the fantastic thing about the legacy of… a present that is been capable of go this lengthy, is there’s so many members of the All American household who’ve been capable of transition into the subsequent step of their desires,” she says.
Troy Harvey/The CW
Carroll tells PEOPLE, “We had Daniel grow to be a director on this present. Karimah [Westbrook] grew to become a director on this present. We have had gaffers who’ve grow to be our DPs [directors of photography]. We have had DPs who’ve grow to be administrators, assistants who’ve grow to be producers.”
She provides, “And so we’re very pleased with not solely the legacy of the present on the display screen, however the legacy of the present behind the scenes as effectively, for our crew members and our forged and everybody concerned.”
Michael Evans Behling (Jordan Baker), Greta Onieogou (Layla) and Bre-Z (Coop) return as regulars for season 7, whereas a number of new forged members proceed to push the storyline for the subsequent era of followers.
The CW
Turner tells PEOPLE their crew has “been blessed to type of inform these full circle tales,” noting that “one of many issues that we additionally attempt to delight ourselves on is the ability of legacy.”
“I thank God day-after-day,” he says of having the ability to inform impactful tales for seven seasons.
The recent faces of season 7 embody Osy Ikhile as Cassius Jeremy, Nathaniel McIntyre as KJ, Antonio J. Bell as Khalil and Alexis Chikaeze as Amina.
“Season 7 is taking it again to the place all of it started: Beverly Hills Excessive and South Crenshaw Excessive,” the present’s logline reads. :It’s the identical coronary heart, identical NFL dream, identical crosstown rivalry, identical messy hormones, ushered in by a brand new era of LA teenagers, a brand new Beverly Coach and our OG vortex fam, who’re shocked to search out they’re presupposed to be the accountable adults now.”
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Along with Carroll and Turner, Warner Bros. Tv and CBS Studios in affiliation with Berlanti Productions are behind the drama collection with govt producers Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and David Strauss.
All American premiered on Monday, Feb. 3, on The CW and new episodes will air on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.
Seasons 1 to six of All American may be streamed on Netflix.
