Connie Britton | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Britton in 2013 | |
| Born | Constance Elaine Womack (1967-03-06)March 6, 1967 (age 58) Boston,Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Education | Dartmouth College (BA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Connie Britton (bornConstance Elaine Womack; March 6, 1967)[1] is an American actress. Her accolades include nominations for fivePrimetime Emmy Awards and twoGolden Globe Awards. She gained prominence for her roles in the television seriesSpin City (1996–2000),The West Wing (2001), and24 (2006). Further recognition came for starring asTami Taylor inFriday Night Lights (2006–2011),Vivien Harmon inAmerican Horror Story: Murder House (2011), andRayna Jaymes inNashville (2012–2018). Her other television projects includeDirty John (2018–2019),The White Lotus (2021), andZero Day (2025).
In film, she has featured inThe Brothers McMullen (1995),Beatriz at Dinner (2017),Promising Young Woman (2020), andLuckiest Girl Alive (2022). Beyond acting, she is an advocate for women's rights and served as a Goodwill Ambassador for theUnited Nations Development Programme.
Britton was born Constance Elaine Womack inBoston, Massachusetts, to Linda Jane (née Cochran) and Edgar Allen Womack, Jr., who was aphysicist and an energy company executive.[2][3] She spent her early years inRockville, Maryland.[2]
When she was seven years old, she moved with her parents and herfraternal twin sister, Cynthia,[4] toLynchburg, Virginia, where she attendedE. C. Glass High School and performed in plays in the E. C. Glass High School Theater; her photo is displayed in the E. C. Glass Alumni Theater. She majored inAsian studies with a concentration in Chinese atDartmouth College, and studied at theBeijing Normal University[2] during her freshman summer withKirsten Gillibrand, who was later elected to the United States Senate.[5][6] After graduating in 1989, Britton (then Womack) moved to New York City, where she spent two years at theNeighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre studying withSanford Meisner.[7]
While studying at the Neighborhood Playhouse, Britton (then Womack) made her New York theatrical debut inCaroline Kava'sThe Early Girl at The Courtyard Playhouse.[8] Britton played seasoned prostitute Laurel opposite Cooper Lawrence, who played Joan. Britton's performance, while well received, nearly got her ousted from the Neighborhood Playhouse program, which prohibited students from taking professional employment during their course of study. After graduating, Britton spent two more years working inoff-Broadway theatre productions. In 1995, Britton made her feature film debut inEdward Burns's comedy-dramaThe Brothers McMullen.[9] She moved toLos Angeles after the film's success.[8]
AfterThe Brothers McMullen, Britton was cast as Heather in a recurring role in theABC sitcomEllen, and starred as Cammie Barbash in the unsoldFox pilotPins and Needles. Britton was one of two finalists for the part of Dorothy Boyd oppositeTom Cruise inCameron Crowe's romantic comedy-dramaJerry Maguire (1996), but lost the role toRenée Zellweger.[10] In 1996, she began co-starring as Nikki Faber in the ABC sitcomSpin City oppositeMichael J. Fox.[8] Her character was written out of the show whenCharlie Sheen replaced Fox. She also appeared in the romantic comedy-dramaNo Looking Back (1998) and the mystery comedy-dramaLooking for Kitty (2004), both directed by Edward Burns. In 2001, she co-starred oppositeChris Eigeman andJamie Harris in the romantic comedyThe Next Big Thing. She later co-starred in the independent filmsThe Life Coach,Special Ed,The Lather Effect andThe Last Winter[11].
After leavingSpin City, Britton had a recurring role as Maggie Kimble Hume in the short-livedCBS crime dramaThe Fugitive. In 2001, she played Gertrude Temple,Shirley Temple's mother in the ABC television filmChild Star: The Shirley Temple Story, based on Temple's 1988 autobiography.[12] In the same year, she starred as Sophie Fitzgerald in the short-livedNBC sitcomThe Fighting Fitzgeralds.[13] In 2001, Britton also had a recurring role in the NBC political dramaThe West Wing in thethird season, appearing in the two-part premiere titled "Manchester" and the sixth episode titled "Gone Quiet" as Connie Tate, a member of Bruno Gianelli's team. In 2002, she returned to ABC and starred as Rachel Davis in the short-lived sitcomLost at Home. In 2006, she had a recurring role in the Fox espionage thriller24 in thefifth season asDiane Huxley, a landlady and a brief girlfriend ofJack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland).
Britton co-starred oppositeKyle Chandler in the NBC/DirecTV drama seriesFriday Night Lights asTami Taylor, the wife of a head football coachEric Taylor (Chandler), who becomes a high school guidance counselor.[14] The show ran for five seasons from October 3, 2006, to February 9, 2011. During that time, Britton developed a devoted following for her performance – described byThe New York Times as "something of an icon, a 40-something sex symbol and role model."[14] She was first cast oppositeBilly Bob Thornton in the film version of the series,Friday Night Lights (2004).[15] For her role in the show, she was nominated forPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2010 and 2011, forTCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama in 2007 and 2008, and was awardedSatellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 2010.[8]
In 2009, Britton co-starred oppositeCarla Gugino and herFriday Night Lights co-starAdrianne Palicki in the comedyWomen in Trouble, and co-starred oppositeJackie Earle Haley,Kyle Gallner andRooney Mara in the 2010 remake ofA Nightmare on Elm Street as Dr. Gwendoline "Gwen" Holbrook.[16] In 2011, she co-starred oppositePamela Adlon in the romantic comedyConception.[17] She appeared on theWBEZ radio reading showThis American Life's 429th episode, "Will They Know Me at Home?", in which she performed monologues fromDavid Finkel's nonfiction bookThe Good Soldiers.[18]
In 2011, Britton starred in the first season in theFX horror dramaAmerican Horror Story. She playedVivien Harmon, who relocates with her family to California after a series of tragic marital and family issues.[19] Unfortunately for The Harmons, the new house they purchase quickly reveals itself to be haunted. For this role she was nominated forPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie in 2012. Britton had stated when she wrappedAmerican Horror Story she would be taking a couple of months off to be with her new adopted son, but that she would then begin to re-focus on developing her FX drama collaboration withDavid O. Russell, but the project went into "development hell".[20]
.jpg)
On March 6, 2012, Britton signed on to star in and produce theABC/CMT musical drama series,Nashville created by Academy Award winnerCallie Khouri. The series ran on ABC and CMT for six seasons from October 10, 2012, to July 26, 2018. She playedRayna Jaymes, a 40-year-old renownedcountry singer whose stardom is beginning to fade.[21][22][23] Britton's performance received critical praise,[24][25][26] and she was nominated for a fourth time for aPrimetime Emmy Award forOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and aGolden Globe Award forBest Actress – Television Series Drama for the first time for this role.[27][14] Britton, for her part, said that the most nerve-wracking part of her role, at least in the beginning, was the singing the role requires of her. The show was cancelled in May 2016 by ABC.[28] However, in June 2016,CMT picked up the series for a fifth season.[29] In February 2017, Britton leftNashville during the fifth season,[30] but returned for the series finale in July 2018 as a guest star.[31]
In 2012, Britton co-starred opposite Edward Burns in the comedy-dramaThe Fitzgerald Family Christmas.[32] The film was met with positive reviews from critics.[33] That same year, she had co-starred in the comedy-dramaSeeking a Friend for the End of the World oppositeSteve Carell andKeira Knightley.[34]
In 2013, Britton co-starred oppositeAubrey Plaza in the comedyThe To Do List, where she played the mother of Plaza's character.[35] Britton returned to Austin, Texas, whereFriday Night Lights was filmed, to co-star oppositeHarry Connick Jr. and fellow actors and musiciansWillie Nelson,Lyle Lovett andKris Kristofferson in the Christmas family dramaAngels Sing. In 2014, Britton co-starred oppositeAdam Driver as acougar therapist in the comedy-dramaThis Is Where I Leave You, based onJonathan Tropper's 2009 best-selling novel.[36]
In 2015, she co-starred oppositeThomas Mann,RJ Cyler andOlivia Cooke in the comedy-dramaMe and Earl and the Dying Girl, directed byAlfonso Gomez-Rejon, and based onJesse Andrews'2012 novel of the same name, a wry coming-of-age story about Greg (Mann), a teenage oddball forced to befriend Rachel (Cooke), a classmate with leukemia. She played Greg's mother.[37] That same year, she co-starred in the action comedyAmerican Ultra oppositeJesse Eisenberg andKristen Stewart;Sharon Stone had originally been cast in her part.[38][39][40]
In 2016, Britton reunited withAmerican Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy in his miniseriesAmerican Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson asFaye Resnick.[41][42][43] In 2017, guest starred as Ally in theShowtime comedy seriesSMILF. Also in 2017, Britton starred in the comedy-drama filmBeatriz at Dinner and the biographical dramaProfessor Marston and the Wonder Women. In 2018, she co-starred in the comedy-drama filmThe Land of Steady Habits.
Also in 2018, Britton starred as emergency dispatcher Abby Clark in the first season of the Fox procedural drama9-1-1, her third collaboration with Ryan Murphy.[44] The same year, she returned toAmerican Horror Story for the eighth season,Apocalypse, reprising her role asVivien Harmon. She also co-starred oppositeEric Bana as Debra Newell in theBravo true crime anthology seriesDirty John, for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination forBest Actress – Miniseries or Television Film.[45] In 2019, she playedRoger Ailes' wife in the drama film,Bombshell. Her later film credits includePromising Young Woman (2020),Joe Bell (2020),Breaking (2022), andLuckiest Girl Alive (2022).[46][47]
Britton starred as Nicole Mossbacher in the first season of HBO anthology series,The White Lotus in 2021,[48] receivingPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie nomination (losing to her co-starJennifer Coolidge).[49] In 2023, she reunited withFriday Night Lights showrunnerJason Katims in theApple TV+ drama seriesDear Edward based on thenovel of the same name by Ann Napolitano.[50][51] In 2024, Britton appeared in the dark comedy filmWinner playing the role ofReality Winner's mother.[52]
Britton uses her married name as her stage name. She met investment banker John Britton atAlpha Delta House atDartmouth College. They moved to Manhattan together in 1989, married on October 5, 1991, and divorced in 1995.[53]
While at Dartmouth in the late 1980s, Britton studiedChinese and lived for a summer in Beijing with future US SenatorKirsten Gillibrand.[54][55] In a 2012 interview onNPR, Britton said of the experience: "I always wanted to be an actor. But when I went to college, I had to fulfill a language requirement and so I thought it would be really cool to do it speaking Chinese. My Chinese these days is real, real shaky. Let's put it this way: these days, my singing is better than my Chinese."[56]
In November 2011, Britton adopted a son from Ethiopia.[57] Britton moved toNashville, Tennessee, in 2012 when she signed to star in the ABC/CMT musical dramaNashville.[14] In January 2023, Britton confirmed an ongoing three-year relationship with television producer David Windsor.[58]
Britton is a supporter of theDemocratic Party. She publicly supportedHillary Clinton in the2016 United States presidential election and opposed the candidacy ofDonald Trump.[59][60][61] Britton endorsed U.S. SenatorKirsten Gillibrand, her college roommate at Dartmouth, in the2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries and appeared with her at campaign events.[62] She also backedAlabama DemocratDoug Jones for the U.S. Senate in2017.[63][64]
On April 2, 2014, Britton became the 10th Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Development Programme, the anti-poverty agency of the UN. She joins celebrities such asAntonio Banderas,Maria Sharapova,Zinedine Zidane andRonaldo in the role ofUNDPGoodwill Ambassador. She focuses her advocacy efforts on eradicating extreme poverty, fighting exclusion and empowering women.[65][66][67][68] In June 2016, theHuman Rights Campaign released a video in tribute to the victims of theOrlando nightclub shooting; in the video, Britton and others told the stories of the people killed there.[69][70] Britton encouraged Twitter followers who planned to vote in Georgia's 2021 U.S. Senate races to make sure their ID met the state's requirements, listing valid forms of ID and citing VoteRiders as a resource for questions or help.[71]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–1996 | Ellen | Heather Clarke | 3 episodes | |
| 1995 | Pins and Needles | Cammie Barbash | Unsold television pilot | |
| 1996 | Escape Clause | Leslie Bullard | Television film | |
| 1996–2000 | Spin City | Nikki Faber | 100 episodes | |
| 1998 | Cupid | Madeleine | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 2000–2001 | The Fugitive | Maggie Kimble Hume | 3 episodes | |
| 2001 | The Fighting Fitzgeralds | Sophie Fitzgerald | 10 episodes | |
| The West Wing | Connie Tate | 4 episodes | ||
| Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story | Gertrude Temple | Television film | ||
| 2003 | Lost at Home | Rachel Davis | 6 episodes | |
| 2005 | Life as We Know It | Dianne | Episode: "Papa Wheelie" | |
| 2006 | 24 | Diane Huxley | 6 episodes | |
| 2006–2011 | Friday Night Lights | Tami Taylor | 76 episodes | |
| 2011 | American Horror Story: Murder House | Vivien Harmon | 12 episodes | |
| 2012–2018 | Nashville | Rayna Jaymes/Herself | 98 episodes | |
| 2013 | Drunk History | Patricia Shaheen | Episode: "Boston" | |
| 2014 | Family Guy | Herself (voice) | Episode: "Baking Bad" | |
| 2016 | The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story | Faye Resnick | 2 episodes | |
| 2017 | American Dad! | Herself (voice) | Episode: "Whole Slotta Love" | |
| 2017–2019 | SMILF | Ally | 7 episodes | |
| 2018, 2020 | 9-1-1 | Abby Clark | Main role (season 1); Special guest star (season 3), 1 episode | |
| 2018 | American Horror Story: Apocalypse | Vivien Harmon | Episode: "Return to Murder House" | |
| Dirty John | Debra Newell | 8 episodes; also executive producer | ||
| 2020 | Make It Work! | Herself | Television special | |
| 2021 | The White Lotus | Nicole Mossbacher[74] | Main role (season 1) | |
| 2022 | Mamas | Narrator | Documentary series; also executive producer[75] | |
| 2023 | Dear Edward | Dee Dee | Main role[76] | |
| 2024 | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars | Herself (guest judge) | Episode: "Grand Finale Variety Extravaganza: Part 2" (season 9) | |
| 2025 | Zero Day | Valerie Whitesell | Miniseries | |
| Overcompensating | Kathryn | 2 episodes[77] |
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions[78] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Compilations | US | US Country | US Soundtracks | ||
| The Music of Nashville: Season 1 Volume 1 |
| 5[79] | 14 | 3 | 1 |
| The Music of Nashville: Season 1 Volume 2 |
| 9[81] | 13 | 5 | 2 |
| The Music of Nashville, Season 1: The Complete Collection |
| — | — | — | — |
| The Music of Nashville: Season 2, Volume 1 |
| — | 34 | 7 | 4 |
| The Music of Nashville: Season 2, Volume 2 |
| — | 13 | 4 | 2 |
| Christmas With Nashville |
| — | 59 | 8 | 10 |
| The Music of Nashville: Season 3, Volume 1 |
| — | 75 | 10 | 6 |
| Nashville: On the Record, Volume 2 |
| — | 31 | 3 | — |
| The Music of Nashville: Season 3, Volume 2 |
| — | 28 | 3 | 3 |
| The Music of Nashville: Season 4, Volume 1 |
| — | 170 | 17 | 6 |
| The Music of Nashville: Season 4, Volume 2 |
| — | 165 | 12 | 3 |
| The Music of Nashville: Season 5, Volume 1 |
| — | 65 | 12 | 8 |
| The Music of Nashville: Season 5, Volume 2 |
| ||||
| The Music of Nashville: Season 6, Volume 2 |
| ||||
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [83] | US [84] | |||
| 2012 | "No One Will Ever Love You"(withCharles Esten)A | 36 | 117 | The Music of Nashville: Season 1 Volume 1 |
| "Wrong Song"(withHayden Panettiere) | 39 | — | ||
| 2013 | "Stronger Than Me" | 42 | — | The Music of Nashville: Season 1 Volume 2 |
| "The Best Songs Come from Broken Hearts" | 48 | — | N/a | |
| 2014 | "He Ain't Gonna Change"(with Hayden Panettiere) | 50 | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
