‘American Assassin’ Star Taylor Kitsch Reveals He Once Lived on the NYC Subway

Before Taylor Kitsch became widely known for his portrayal of troubled high school football star Tim Riggins on NBC’s hit series, Friday Night Lights, the 36-year-old was living on the New York City subway. Taylor confirmed to Us Weekly on Wednesday, Sept. 6 that he was once homeless — see what he had to say by watching the video below:

Yet despite the hard times, the True Detective alum never gave up. “Oh, I had beats like that, but when you don’t have a contingency, it’s funny what you’ll put up with,” he continued to tell Us. “At the time you’re not thinking that, you’re just doing it and you’re young.”

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Currently, Taylor stars as Ghost in American Assassin, which is set to hit theaters nationwide this Friday. Taylor plays the role of a mysterious operative who seems to be intent on starting a war, while his co-worker, Dylan O’Brien, portrays Mitch Rapp, a “black ops” recruit who is working under the supervision of a Cold War veteran played by Michael Keaton. The two recently joined CBS This Morning to discuss the film, and when it came to working with Michael, Taylor gushed, “For me, it was a big reason to sign on. I have one long scene with him that’s a pretty rare, memorable scene. You know he’s just a gamer, still has great energy, improv was big.” He added that he hoped the film would be a voice for the terror attacks that have recently affected cities like London, Barcelona, and Paris. “It’s not going anywhere — this terrorism, everything that’s going on and these events. So I think that’s a really big part of this movie.”

Taylor Kitsch and Dylan O’Brien attend an after party for American Assassin at iPic Theater.

Yet Taylor hasn’t forgotten his roots. The TV turned movie A-lister dished on the continual success of Friday Night Lights, six years after the season finale. “The resurgence, being on Netflix, there’s a whole new heartbeat to it,” he said. “I mean, all of us are so flattered by it. I loved being a part of it.”