The former costars shared a blink-and-you-miss-it moment at the awards show after Jordan took home the Best Actor trophy.

Friday Night Lights fans can’t get over Michael B. Jordan pointing to Jesse Plemons after his Oscar win

The former costars shared a blink-and-you-miss-it moment at the awards show after Jordan took home the Best Actor trophy.

By Leigh Blickley

March 16, 2026 12:44 p.m. ET

Michael B. Jordan and Jesse Plemons at the 2026 Oscars. Credit:

Brianna Bryson/Getty; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose Oscars.

*Sinners* star Michael B. Jordan took home the award for Actor in a Leading Role on Sunday at the 2026 Oscars, and no one — except maybe Jordan's mom — looked prouder than his former* Friday Night Lights* costar Jesse Plemons.

As Jordan went to accept the prestigious honor, the camera panned to Plemons, who gave his longtime pal a standing ovation from the front row alongside wife Kirsten Dunst. Then, following a touching speech, Jordan began to walk off the stage but paused to point to Plemons before exiting — thumping his chest twice in a "Texas Forever" moment. Plemons pointed back, beaming with pride.

Plemons and Jordan shared the screen as Landry Clarke and Vince Howard on the fourth and fifth seasons of *Friday Night Lights*, which followed a high school football team in the fictional Dillon, Texas. Fifteen years after the Emmy-nominated show's conclusion, the men reunited late last year to interview each other for Variety's Actor on Actors, during which they discussed their experience on the beloved show.

"It was a good time. We were kids, but we did not know that. We thought we were grown," Plemons told Jordan, who agreed and added, "You're like the original, OG cast. I'm like the new addition that popped in."

Both Jordan and Plemons said the show was a "formative experience" and changed their relationships to acting.

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"The idea of always being 'on' and ready to adapt and improv and [take] ownership of the characters and [be] expected to bring something every day that wasn't on the page was the expectation and responsibility that you had on that show," Jordan told Plemons. "So, I definitely take that with me."

Michael B. Jordan as Vince Howard, Jesse Plemons as Landry Clarke in 'Friday Night Lights.'.

Bill Records/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

"That show almost felt like anarchy, to a degree, especially for a network television show," Plemons added. "That show taught me that really good work can come out of the sense of play and exploration."

Plemons and Jordan went on to earn a slew of recognition this year for their roles in *Bugonia* and *Sinners*, respectively, going up against each other at most of the major award shows. Jordan took home the Oscar and the Actor Award for his roles as Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler's genre-bending film, while Plemons was nominated for an Actor, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe for his Yorgos Lanthimos joint. Despite those nods and solid reviews for his performance, Plemons was snubbed in the Oscars' Best Actor category.

"It feels like someone from my high school is out there doing amazing things," Plemons told Jordan during Actors on Actors. "The fact that not only are you doing the kind of work you're doing but when good people do great things, it feels like a win for everyone, man."

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Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Academy”