Back in 2007, “Sheriff Country” star Matt Lauria made his official primetime television debut in one of the best NBC shows of all time. The scene was brief, but he certainly made an impact: A physical one, at that. Not only did he share the screen with a Hollywood giant, but he also literally tackled and wrestled with comedic royalty.
If you watch “30 Rock” Season 2, Episode 2, “Jack Gets in the Game,” closely, you can catch an easy-on-the-eyes glimpse of Lauria. The episode’s plot centers on NBC executive Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) engaging in psychological warfare against his nemesis, Devon Banks (Will Arnett). The two rivals are gunning to fill the shoes of GE’s retiring CEO, Don Geiss (Rip Torn). During a game of football, Jack is noticeably exhausted and gasping for air, so Devon seizes the opportunity to make some jabs about Jack’s recent heart attack. Knowing that Devon is secretly gay, Jack retaliates by calling over Winthrop, a good-looking, shirtless athlete played by Lauria. “Banks says he can pin you,” Jack tells Winthrop. Devon is then pinned to the turf, as Winthrop wrestles him.
While Lauria made the memorable guest spot look effortless, his real-life experience on set was a total whirlwind. “I had auditioned on a Friday or on Thursday and I got the call Sunday that I had booked the job for ’30 Rock,'” he explained during an interview with Backstage. “I was flying back to New York on Monday and had to shoot Tuesday.”
When Matt Lauria arrived on the set of 30 Rock, he found out he had to do a shirtless scene
Following a 90-minute bus ride and two train transfers, Lauria admitted he ate “two Egg McCheesers on the way” to the set because he didn’t know craft services existed. Once he made it to the set, he was in for a surprise: A last-second script change had him doing a shirtless scene alongside two Hollywood heavyweights. Matt Lauria also revealed that his very first prime-time acting gig landed on his first wedding anniversary.
After flubbing a line during the shoot, Baldwin stepped in with some memorable tough-love advice: “Come on, kid, you got a long career ahead of you. You gotta get this!” In the end, Lauria pulled it off, reflecting that “it was that one job on ’30 Rock’ that let me get my feet wet.” And Baldwin was right about one thing: Lauria did indeed have a long career ahead of him. Immediately following “30 Rock,” Lauria landed a recurring role as Roy Merritt on NBC’s “Lipstick Jungle.” After that, his role as football star Luke Cafferty on “Friday Night Lights” — one of the best sports TV shows, ever — really put him in the spotlight, paving the way for other major parts in shows like “Parenthood,” “Kingdom,” “CSI: Vegas,” and “Sheriff Country.”
