Connie Britton is best known for playing iconic mothers. She starred in Friday Night Lights as alpha mom Tammi Taylor, and in Nashville as country music singer Rayna James. In fact, fans often tell Britton they wish she were their mother. And yes, it's just as awkward as it sounds. "Those are some uncomfortable moments, yeah--I think really for everyone involved," she told host Ophira Eisenberg. "Because I think the person asking doesn't feel great about it either. ... I don't feel great about it, and then I try to mother them in that moment and then everybody says, 'You know what? Let's just go to therapy and be done with it.'"
After Friday Night Lights wrapped, Britton found another strong leading role as Rayna James on the hit series Nashville. When critics tried to label her character an "aging country music star," she wasn't having it. "That kind of pissed me off," she told Eisenberg. She then made it a point to change her character's path. She never saw the character as an aging star; in fact, she personally feels her forties have been the best years of her life and her career so far. "All the women I know who are my age are the coolest, the sexiest, and the most wonderful, right? I mean for real!"
In honor of the various awesome moms Connie Britton is known for playing, her VIP game is all about iconic fictional TV moms. Ophira reads different Mother's Day cards and she guesses for which TV mom they were written.
HIGHLIGHTS
On having her character labeled as an "aging star"
Sometimes TV tried to whittle things down to something that feels very basic and sort of approachable and understandable and I don't think that gives the audience credit.
On being named a United Nations Development Program Goodwill Ambassador in 2014
I like to spread the goodwill!...I work with the UN ... and the focus is on trying to eradicate poverty around the world and my focus in particular is on gender equality.
Connie Britton & Martina McBride: 'This One's For The Girls'
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