Taye Diggs Reflects On Judging ‘Second Chance Stage’

Taye Diggs is embracing second chances in his newest gig as a judge.

The actor, who’s known for his many roles in musicals, dramas, and comedies, is now helping people who had to put their dreams on hold to have their time to shine. The role as a judge is something that Diggs said was “life altering” for him.

He recently had time to chat with The Blast exclusively about being a judge, his favorite time of the year, partnering with Lysol, and more.

Diggs, a well-known actor with a resume a mile long that includes TV, movies, musicals, writing, and voiceovers, was excited to embark on the journey of being a judge on a new show.

“I am excited about becoming a judge on the upcoming show ‘Second Chance Stage,’ which highlights incredible performers who had to put their dreams on hold and gives them another chance to pursue these dreams,” Diggs told The Blast exclusively. “The experience of filming this was eye-opening, emotional, and truly life-altering.”

For Diggs, the experience helped him to “appreciate” all he has pursued in his own career.

“The experience of filming this was eye-opening, emotional, and truly life-altering,” he said. “It was an honor to get to watch these performers have the courage to try again, to hope and work for opportunities that sometimes seem impossible to get, and it really made me appreciate the opportunities I have pursued in my career as well.”

When asked what advice Diggs would give an aspiring actor or performer who’s just starting out in the industry, he referred back to the new show.

“Riffing off the title of the upcoming show I judge on, ‘Second Chance Stage,’ I would actually encourage aspiring actors to forget the notion of first or second chances, but rather to take benchmarks out of the equation, and just live life as you are experiencing it, with no judgment, or beating yourself up or believing that you failed,” he told The Blast.

“With this reframing, you are free to be yourself and enjoy the art that you are a part of, with all the ups and down, and a welcomed part of the process.”

Football season is one of Diggs’ favorite seasons, and a super timely period to join forces with Lysol to help consumers prepare for game day.

Whether you’re catching the game at the stadium or at a watch party, shouting can produce droplets in the air, making it easier to catch a virus. For Diggs, Lysol Air Sanitizer a game day must-have.

“Football season is one of my favorite times of year, especially going to game day watch parties. But I learned through my partnership with Lysol that cheering for your team can result in viruses and bacteria expelled in the air – shouting can produce up to 100,000 droplets per minute,” he told The Blast.

“That’s why Lysol Air Sanitizer is my game day must-have. It kills 99.9% of airborne viruses and bacteria to eliminate odors in the air, so you can protect your home while cheering on your favorite team all season long.”

To help “level up” game day at home, Diggs worked with Lysol to create the Germ Zone Essentials Pack that includes Lysol Air Sanitizer, as well as other essentials. During this college football season, fans can receive their own Germ Zone Essentials Pack by commenting #LysolGermZoneSweeps on content posted by @Lysol on Instagram.

Diggs recently had some fun entertaining with his singing voice at the Lysol Germ Zone booth, an interactive game day experience. What song did he choose to sing? “We Are the Champions” by Queen.

“‘We Are the Champions’ is a great football song for any winner, no matter what your favorite team,” he said. “It is also a great song to belt in ‘The Germ Zone’ for the VR technology to populate on surrounding LED screens just how many bacteria and viruses release into the air when cheering on your favorite team.”

Speaking of singing, when asked if Diggs has a favorite genre since he’s worked in musicals, dramas, and comedies, he revealed what he loves best.

“Across the genres, any form of pretending is really fun, whether you get to push yourself to reinvent yourself into a character that is so far from yourself, or play a character very close to you,” he explained.

As far as a favorite role, Diggs said one of his faves was playing Billy Baker on “All American.”

“I had such a great experience with such a great cast, who truly became like family to me,” he said. “The role has also brought me closer to my own family – my son is an athlete, and we have been able to watch it together and run some of the plays together.”

Diggs said it was “inspiring to be able to witness” real athletes’ “athleticism” to help bring a “more authentic show.”

Something many fans might be surprised to learn about Diggs is that acting is something that runs in his family. In fact, he realized he wanted to pursue acting when he first saw his mother performing on stage.

“Her transformation in front of an audience was so impressive, and sparked my curiosity about the craft,” he said.

As far as what’s to come for the longtime actor, he said he’s “open to a variety of new opportunities” and is “also appreciating the slower moments in life” as he gets older. He also especially enjoys spending more time with his son.