“Friday Night Lights” Star Moves Onto ABC Pilot

Entertainment Weekly confirmed Sunday that “Friday Night Lights” standout Zach Gilford has been tapped for the cast of ABC’s pilot “Matador.”

The series, which focuses on rival families from the Chicago district attorney’s office and from a powerful law firm, will play, in part, like a modern “Romeo & Juliet.” Gilford will play Alex Galloway, the Romeo component of the story.

It has not been made clear how “Matadors” differs, conceptually, from FOX’s heavily-hyped 2003 bomb “Skin,” which told the classic Shakespeare tale with the families of the Los Angeles District Attorney and a leading pornography mogul under legal scrutiny.

On “FNL,” Gilford played Matt Saracen, the shy backup quarterback who, in season one, replaced injured star Jason Street in leading his team to a state championship. Gilford, who had been a regular for the first three seasons, moved away from that top billing midway through the current fourth season and has appeared in small spurts since. He was not confirmed as a cast member for season five.

The fourth season has nonetheless been his most memorable, as his performance in “The Son,” in which Matt deals with the death of his absentee father, was considered one of the most powerful acting performances ever on the show.