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Summary
- All American
bid a heartfelt goodbye to Coach Montes in tribute to the beloved actor Kamar de Los Reyes. - Character relationships like Asher and Coach Montes add emotional depth to the series and resonate with fans.
- Kamar de Los Reyes’s legacy lives on in his memorable role as Coach Montes, a mentor and father figure on screen.
All American is an incredible series with profound writing that resonates with many fans working for their dreams despite their desire to give up. After six seasons, the show’s characters have great chemistry, from Spencer James, who has come a long way from his initial appearance as a teenage football player to Taye Diggs’ Billy Baker, who found his happy ending in the most emotional way possible.
However, fans of All American are not done with emotional farewells and heartbreaks since the sixth season recently bid goodbye to Coach Montes, played by Kamar de Los Reyes, the head coach of Coastal California University. In a recent episode of the series, Coach Montes received a remarkable farewell, as All American is known for doing so, especially given what happened to the actor.
What Happened to Kamar de Los Reyes?
All American, which premiered in 2018, is based on the real-life events of Spencer Paysinger and features some of the most admirable characters, including Billy Baker (Taye Diggs), Spencer James (Daniel Ezra), and Coach Montes (Kamar de Los Reyes). In particular, Coach Montes, who took over as the head coach of Coastal California University in the fourth season, has had several moments in the spotlight, often leading young players like Asher Adams (Cody Christian) toward success.
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While he was less involved in the latter seasons, making only occasional guest appearances, he made significant contributions to the story every time he appeared on the screen, eventually becoming one of the show’s most memorable characters. Unfortunately, Kamar de Los Reyes, the actor who plays Coach Montes, passed away on December 24, 2023, after being diagnosed with cancer. Following the news of Reyes’ death, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, the showrunner and executive producer of All American, touched on how it felt to work with him on and off the screen (via Deadline). In her words,
“We are absolutely devastated at the loss of Kamar. He was such a beloved member of our All American family. He brought so much love, light and joy to the set every day, even during his final days. We are so grateful for every moment he spent with us. Our hearts and sincere condolences are with Sherri, Caylen, Michael, John and the rest of Kamar’s family. Thank you for sharing him so generously with us and with the rest of the world. He truly was a gift. One we will cherish forever.”
A Fitting Farewell to Coach Montes in Honor of Kamar de Los Reyes
Despite only appearing for one full season and on rare occasions afterward, Kamar de Los Reyes’ Coach Montes was an integral part of All American, and the show owes it to him to give him a proper farewell. During the 10th episode of the sixth season, “Mass Appeal,” which aired on June 3, 2024, All American decided to bid an emotional goodbye to the late Kamar de Los Reyes. The episode revealed that Coach Montes is accepting a position with the NFL, which perfectly wraps up his storyline.
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Ultimately, Asher Adams was able to share a phone call with Coach Montes, who has served as both an on-screen and off-screen mentor throughout the years. The episode concludes with their phone call before a tribute card reading “in loving memory of Kamar de Los Reyes” is displayed on the screen. In a recent interview with MovieWeb, Cody Christian, who plays Asher Adams, discussed his real-life relationship with Kamar de Los Reyes. In his own words,
“It hasn’t been easy. I’m not gonna lie. This is the first real experience, I think, as a man in my own life where I’ve had someone incredibly close… someone that I’ve built a close relationship with, let alone have it be somebody that I shared the screen with and someone who played a mentorship role for me, almost like a second father figure”
Kamar de Los Reyes was a Puerto Rican actor who starred in over 60 films and television shows, including the most popular, All American, One Life to Live, Salt, and Valley of the Dolls. He also appeared briefly in prominent long-running television shows such as CSI and Law & Order and voiced Raul Menendez in Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and Call of Duty: Vanguard.
While All American may be the most important series in Reyes’ career, he will appear on television one last time as Captain Alvarez in the upcoming TV miniseries Washington Black. New episodes of All American will premiere on The CW every Monday at 8 p.m. EST and the series is streaming on CW and Netflix.
