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Created by April Blair, All American is a sports drama TV series that premiered on The CW in October 2018. The show chronicles the lives of a group of people from Beverly Hills and Crenshaw.
The central plot of All American revolves around a rising football star, Spencer James (Daniel Ezra), who is selected to play for his high school team in Beverly Hills and aspires to become an NFL player. The character of Spencer James is inspired by professional American football player Spencer Paysinger.
Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers for All American. Reader's discretion is advised.
One prominent character in the show was JJ Parker, portrayed by Hunter Clowdus. However, JJ's character arc was cut short when he did not appear in season 6. His sudden disappearance was explained as his decision to relocate to Tibet to seek spiritual enlightenment.
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JJ Parker's character arc in All American
Although All American was received positively upon its release, its TV ratings on The CW were weak. However, after being released on Netflix, it turned out to be a sleeper hit as more viewers began tuning in to watch the series. The show is currently in its seventh season, with the finale scheduled to be released on May 5, 2025.
JJ Parker was introduced as a linebacker for the Beverly Hills High School football team. His humor and carefree attitude made him a fan favorite. Loyal and fun-loving, JJ often dodged responsibility and accountability at the expense of his mental health.
In the first three seasons, JJ was a recurring character and became part of the main cast in seasons 4 and 5. Season 5 had JJ face the biggest challenges as he had been partying a little too much, and his drinking problem got worse.
Considering the brevity of the situation, JJ's friends decided to intervene to make him address his issues. JJ struggled to balance academics, football, and his fraternity life, especially after Coach Baker's death. Ultimately, he decided to leave football and embarked on a journey of recovery to address his mental health.
Despite his progress, JJ's storyline was abruptly cut short in season 6 when it was revealed that he had moved to Tibet in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. While this was a surprising turn, it wasn't entirely shocking since JJ had previously expressed his interest in meditation, yoga, and self-reflection, although it was quite subtle.
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Hunter Clowdus opened up about his departure from All American
In March 2024, TVLine reported that Hunter Clowdus left the show ahead of season 6. At the time, a rep for the show stated that JJ's story was "organically wrapped" at the end of last season.
Clowdus's exit was speculated after he appeared to unfollow several of his castmates from the show on social media.
In response to a comment on an Instagram post from November 28, 2025, the actor clarified that he did not want to leave the show. He further wrote:
"I wanted to give the fans and that character proper closure. That said I began to feel very unwelcome there and it was really taking a toll on my mental health. I still wanted to come back for the fans but at the end of the day it was their decision to not continue JJ’s character."
All American is available to stream on Netflix.
