What You Don't Know About Connie Britton

Connie Britton is not a conventional housewife, but she has played a number of them on TV. In fact, Britton boasts a resume full of maternal roles that have reaped a mass following of loyal viewers. 

"Connie Britton has made a career out of playing women who other women want to be," United Airlines' Hemispheres magazine mused, alluding to some of the actor's most notable roles, like Tami Taylor, football coach Eric Taylor's wife on "Friday Night Lights," and "Nashville's" own country music superstar, Rayna Jaymes. Vogue noted that Britton is not "a victim of typecasting. ... In many ways, she's in a league of her own."

Earning primetime spots, however, did not happen overnight. In fact, it took nearly 10 years of smaller roles for Britton to become a leading lady, for which The New York Times Magazine dubbed her "a late bloomer." Securing stardom as a woman over 40 years old sets her apart from a common Hollywood path, and bypassing tradition is where this actor-producer hits her stride. There's more to know about the life and career of Connie Britton.

A personal event that defined Connie Britton's college experience was meeting her husband, John Britton, but the couple divorced after five years in 1995, according to Redbook. "I was married at 24," Britton said. "When I look back, it seems young. I grew and changed a lot." The divorce was not easy on Britton, but the split itself was fairly straightforward. "Divorce is hard," the star explained, adding, "I think we probably fared better than most, because we were young and didn't have kids — but divorce is hard."

Britton got through the tough times by working to build her career, but like many aspiring actors, she needed a side hustle, so she taught aerobics. "I wore very high-legged leotards," she told E! on the 2013 Emmys red carpet. "Maybe a nice pink leotard with a purple bike short and very thick socks. I was hot," she quipped.

The '90s woman was so hot, in fact, that she landed her first major role in what ended up being a winner at the Sundance Film Festival. Britton was beyond grateful. "Shooting ['The Brothers McMullen'] was such a joy," she told Redbook. "... That big-break moment is visceral."

In the early 2000s, Connie Britton was still working to launch her acting career, but the health of her family took a tragic turn. "My parents' being ill was also a big part of my 30s, unfortunately," Britton explained to Redbook in 2009. Her mother died of breast cancer, and her father died "of a rare blood disease." She recalled, "It was a really difficult time. I went through a lot of grief. ... There was so much that was not calm, so much disease."

Following her parents' deaths, Britton, who also happens to have a twin sister, became deliberate about leading a healthy lifestyle to prevent illnesses of her own. "It all got me really thinking about why we have cancer at what seems like almost epidemic proportions in our country, particularly breast cancer in women," Britton told WebMD. "It makes me really think about living a life that is more actively healthful. I personally believe that there are a lot of things that we're dealing with environmentally — in our food, in the things that we use everyday — that have chemical components that are not in our best interests, and I've started paying a lot more attention to that. I really think a lot about what I put into my body."

After five years of "Friday Night Lights" success, finding an equally emblematic part felt daunting for Connie Britton. "I'm still just in denial and having an identity crisis," the actor told Chelsea Handler during a "Chelsea Lately" interview (via The New York Times Magazine). "'Cause who am I, if I'm not Tami Taylor?" Britton's next big role was certainly a departure from the football field, as she landed a single-season part on "American Horror Story." 

Given how different the two shows were, Britton successfully demonstrated her acting range, and she became a household favorite on-screen. "Connie Britton might just be the most likable woman in Hollywood. Calm, self-effacing, surprisingly silly, smart," Esquire raved. Hemispheres echoed these sentiments by praising her "American Horror Story" performance: "She even managed to make a character who was pregnant with the Antichrist...someone to emulate."

Britton was also chosen to play country music legend Rayna Jaymes on ABC's "Nashville," a drama that also showcased her singing abilities and cemented her celebrity status. According to The New York Times Magazine, the show's creator and executive producer, Callie Khouri, said "she could not think of a single other actress she would even consider for the role."

Connie Britton isn't afraid to flex her feminist muscles. In her acting roles, Britton advocates for storylines and characters that mirror her personal ideals or that make statements against injustice. "It's important to me to play women who are empowered and who have a strong sense of self, but who are also connected to their sexuality," she told Dartmouth Alumni Magazine. "I want to continue on that path."

This belief is definitely on-brand with how she handled her "Nashville" character's initial image of "aging country-music star," which The New York Times Magazine reported was a tagline that littered the press at the start of the series. "Honestly, it was a problem for me," she told the magazine. "The minute I've been referenced in writing as aging, I'm done. I was furious about that." Britton fought hard to work with the creative team and successfully reclaim the narrative.

Additionally, Britton has vowed to remain authentic in her appearance by refusing plastic surgery and injectables, a move she hopes others will follow. "I don't think I'm going to be able to change Rome in a day, but to be one representation of a woman being incredibly viable and sexual while aging in a real way is important to me," the actor told Dartmouth Alumni Magazine. "If I try to make my face look younger, then what story am I telling? Does that mean I believe you can only be viable when you have a younger-looking face?"

Committing to worthy causes has been a constant in Connie Britton's life, but by the time she approached 40 years old, she realized she was seeking a higher level of fulfillment. On "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen," Britton explained how she decided to adopt. "I knew that I wanted to be a mom," she began. "And in truth, both of my parents had passed away within three years, and suddenly I was like, 'Oh, no. My family is no more.' ... And I wasn't in a relationship that felt like it was going to be a marriage relationship, and so I was like, 'What am I waiting for? I know I want to adopt. I can do this.'"

The process, however, was easier said than done. To expedite a myriad of delays, Britton phoned her dear friend and former college roommate, who happens to be U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. "I went all mama bear to get things moving along," Britton explained to Dartmouth Alumni Magazine. "And I knew Kirsten was one of the three people in Congress who actually gives a s**t about international orphans. It was the only time in the whole process that I pulled some strings."

In 2011, after more than two years, Britton was reunited with nine-month-old Eyob (nicknamed Yoby) from Ethiopia. "It was such a wonderful moment of completion," she told People. "I thought I was going to collapse into a puddle of tears. I was just grinning from ear to ear."

Connie Britton was formerly linked to comedy writer and actor Jason Mantzoukas, but besides that, she has been seemingly single since her 1995 divorce from John Britton. "Choosing to be in a monogamous lifelong partnership is one of the greatest challenges of being a human being," she explained to Redbook. "I have a much less conventional view about it now. It's about the partnership and the choice to make a commitment."

For Britton, the door is always open for love, but motherhood and her career have been the main priorities. ​​"Every once in awhile, I'll be like, 'Oh yeah! I've been working and being a mom. Where's the man?!'" the actor told ABC News in a 2014 interview. "I've been able to balance that in as well. I'm not in a full-time relationship right now, but I am [dating]. That's part of the balancing act, and it's an important part!"

When fielding questions about the men she dates as potential additions to her son's life, Britton has remained the voice of reason and explained how she dates without an agenda. "I'm not going to put that kind of pressure on myself or on a relationship or on anything," she told HuffPost Live. "I made the choice to have this child, and I'm doing it on my own, and when and if the right man comes into my life, then my son will have a father figure."

With several projects debuting at once, Connie Britton has continued to hustle, work, and earn. In the summer of 2021 alone, the actor debuted a TV series and film with equal amounts of passion and purpose. As Britton shared on "Late Night with Seth Meyers," the HBO satirical series, "White Lotus," has been a hit with viewers. "It's fascinating to think about what it is that hits the zeitgeist. You know, like, why are people so interested in this show? ... I think it just hits home in a way where it makes it okay for people to see themselves in a not-very-nice light." 

The film, "Joe Bell," has also resonated with audiences in a different way. "This is a movie about redemption," Britton told ET of her film, which also stars Mark Wahlberg. "...There are parents all over the country who are in this exact same position and need to know that it's OK to love their LGBTQ child."

Long before these projects, Britton spent years climbing the entertainment industry ladder to amass the solid portfolio she has today. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Britton's assets total approximately $12 million. As stated in Variety, she also owns homes in major cities across the U.S., including Los Angeles; Austin, Texas; Brentwood, Tennessee; and New York City. Connie Britton may have started as a "late bloomer," but no matter where she goes or how much she is worth, the actor, mother, and activist blossoms boldly with beauty, skill, and strength.