Daniel Ezra Is Directing Episodes for NewAll AmericanSeason After Series Exit: ‘That's the Beauty of the Legacy’ (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Daniel Ezra, July 2023.Photo:Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

Daniel Ezra may have madehisAll Americanexit as a series regular, but he’s still very much involved in the show.

Nkechi “NK” Okoro Carroll and Jameal “Jamie” Turner, both showrunners and EPs for The CW drama series, recently spoke to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview about Ezra’s switch from actor to director.

“He’s down on set right now,” Carroll says of 33-year-old Ezra, who left in season 6.

Daniel Ezra as Spencer James on The CW’s All American.Troy Harvey/The CW

Troy Harvey/The CW

The English actor starred as high school-football-star-turned-NFL-pro, Spencer James. His character was loosely based on real life NFL playerSpencer Paysinger.

Carroll tells PEOPLE that fans can see Ezra “both directing, which is something he started doing while he was on the show, and guest starring” in season 7.

“So we get him in front of, and behind, the camera,” she adds.

The showrunner, who also worked onFoundandThe Resident, says working on a series that has lasted for seven seasons allows growth for everyone involved.

“That’s the beauty of the legacy of… a show that’s been able to go this long, is there’s so many members of theAll Americanfamily who’ve been able to transition into the next step of their dreams,” she says.

Daniel Ezra on set for All American.Troy Harvey/The CW

Carroll tells PEOPLE, “We had Daniel become a director on this show. Karimah [Westbrook] became a director on this show. We’ve had gaffers who’ve become our DPs [directors of photography]. We’ve had DPs who’ve become directors, assistants who’ve become producers.”

She adds, “And so we’re very proud of not only the legacy of the show on the screen, but the legacy of the show behind the scenes as well, for our crew members and our cast and everyone involved.”

Michael Evans Behling (Jordan Baker), Greta Onieogou (Layla) and Bre-Z (Coop) return as regulars for season 7, while several new cast members continue to push the storyline for the next generation of fans.

All American season 7 poster.The CW

The CW

Turner tells PEOPLE their crew has “been blessed to kind of tell these full circle stories,” noting that “one of the things that we also try to pride ourselves on is the power of legacy.”

“I thank God every day,” he says of being able to tell impactful stories for seven seasons.

The fresh faces of season 7 include Osy Ikhile as Cassius Jeremy, Nathaniel McIntyre as KJ, Antonio J. Bell as Khalil and Alexis Chikaeze as Amina.

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In addition to Carroll and Turner, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Studios in association with Berlanti Productions are behind the drama series with executive producers Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and David Strauss.

All Americanpremiered on Monday, Feb. 3, on The CW and new episodes will air on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

Seasons 1 to 6 ofAll Americancan be streamed on Netflix.

source: people.com