TV Talk

TV Press Tour: Not Digging Taye Diggs

We critics weren’t exactly digging Taye Diggs during his Day Break panel for ABC. Day Break is one of 348 new serial dramas debuting this fall. The series looks intriguing as Diggs’ character keeps reliving the same day over and over as he tries to figure out who framed him for murder.

Since Day Break has a high-concept premise and is one of those 348 serialized dramas I just mentioned, there were several questions about how the show was going to play out, why there are so many serials coming out this year and if enough viewers would tune in.

But Diggs grew visibly irritated with the line of questioning. He became super defensive and wanted us to know that the cast and producers knew what they were doing even though no one in the room had ever questioned that fact.

“We’re not dumb,� Diggs said.

But no one ever said or even implied you were, Taye.

Then came the line that will go down in Press Tour lore forever and could potentially rival, “I’m Rick James, b---h!�

“I’m Taye Diggs! I wouldn’t sign on for that.�

I can see the T-shirts now selling like hotcakes on eBay.

C’mon, Taye. I mean, you’re a star, but you’re no Denzel Washington. Or Tom Cruise. Or Tom Hanks. Dude, get over yourself. You're a B-actor, at best.

Now, I like Taye and his work, which is why I sought him out at ABC’s party last night and asked him to explain himself.

“I think everybody thinks (my comments) came from more of an egotistical place, but it more came from a place of I’m an actor, I’ve been blessed enough to have worked for the last 15 years and I’m not going to sign on and put my name on a project that is as corny as some of these people were assuming that it was,� he said. “That’s where it came from. I was just trying in a humorous way to get my point across.�

Well, you made us laugh, Taye. But you made yourself look like a bigheaded jerk in the process.