Friday Night Lights alum Zach Gilford is recovering after dealing with major facial swelling, and he has the gruesome pictures to prove it.
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The current Criminal Minds: Evolution actor took to his Instagram Stories on Dec. 17 to share a series of three selfies. The photos showed his face throughout his condition, capturing its progression and his recovery.
The 42-year-old did not disclose the cause of the swelling or details of his treatment, but did express gratitude to the doctors and staff who helped bring the inflammation down to a manageable level.
In the first selfie, the actor’s eyelids looked very swollen, with his left eye so inflamed it was completely shut. However, it was just a hint of what was in store.
“Sooooooo… Yesterday was fun,” the Midnight Mass star captioned the image.
In his second selfie, he wore a blue face mask, highlighting the swelling that had intensified around his eyes and spread to his cheekbones and brow.
“Good thing we wrapped @criminalminds last week,” he wrote alongside the striking image.
Zach Gilford Shares a Final Update on His Swollen Face
In his third and final post, Gilford appeared with both eyes open, and the swelling on his face had visibly subsided.
“Thanks to all the nurses, doctors, and staff at @huntingtonhospital for coaxing my face back to normalcy,” he wrote.
However, the actor knew he still didn’t exactly have a good side for the camera just yet.
“…still a little ways to go,” he admitted.
Gilford launched his career in the early 2000s, gaining recognition as Matt Saracen on Friday Night Lights. He later transitioned to leading roles in popular projects like Good Girls and The Purge: Anarchy.
In 2010, he met his now-wife, Kiele Sanchez, while filming the TV pilot The Matadors. The couple married two years later and have since collaborated on multiple projects, including Evolution.
Meanwhile, Gilford has been a key star in the Criminal Minds revival since its launch in 2022. He portrays Elias Voit, a serial killer with ties to numerous other murderers whom he aids and manipulates.
Season three of Criminal Minds: Evolution is set to debut on Paramount+ in early 2025.