Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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South by Britton With tWo big movie releases on the horizon, emmy-nominated actress and austin regular Connie Britton is in the mood to celebrate in the city that inspires her. BY KATHY BLACKWELL PHoTogrAPHY BY PAuL EmPson sTYLing BY roBErT BEHAr W hile living in Austin for five years as she filmed NBC's Friday Night Lights, Connie Britton created one of the most memorable and beloved television characters in recent memory. Her performance as Tami Taylor—a grounded, small-town Texas woman of integrity, warmth, and humor—resonated with female viewers hungry for relatable characters on the small screen. In ABC's Nashville, Britton plays yet another strong protagonist, country music star Rayna Jaymes. Britton, who received Lead Actress Emmy nominations for her roles on those two shows as well as in American Horror Story, will star in two movies set to be released this year: Me & Earl & The Dying Girl and American Ultra. Although she now lives in Nashville with her son, Yoby, Britton often returns to Austin to soak up the music scene. Here, she talks to Austin Way about why this city means so much to her and why she comes to South by Southwest, even as her local friends f lee the crowds. You lived in Austin for fve years while shooting Friday Night Lights. What do you miss most about the city? Everything. I love Austin. I'm a huge Austin fan. I love that there's music everywhere, and it's so laid-back, nonchalant, and creative. It's a great community. It feels very inclusive. The food is great…. I could go on. [Laughs] I get back here whenever I can—[especially] for music festivals. People love to compare/contrast Nashville and Austin because of their music scenes. Now that you've lived in both, what's your opinion? It's funny, because when I frst came to Nashville, people told me, "Oh, it's just like Austin," and I thought it would be. But I feel the two towns are very different. Certainly, in terms of the friendliness of the people, they are comparable; the people in Nashville have been as incredibly friendly and welcoming as people were to us in Austin. But I do feel that Nashville is really much more spread out. Nashville is where the music business lives. In Austin, it feels less [about the music business] and more as though people are just playing live, writing songs, and making music. It feels much more immediate because it's a lot more about the live music. How did all that exposure to live music in Austin infuence your role as country music star Rayna Jaymes on Nashville? I learned so much about music when I lived in Austin, and I think it shaped some of Rayna's values. The musicians I met or have seen perform in Austin have a real honesty and pure love for the music they're playing. There's a lot of heart and soul in it; that's where I've always imagined Rayna coming from. It's like you can't get away with anything because it's all live. [Laughs] You go to the Continental Club, and you're right there; everybody is in it with you. It feels like there's very little separation between the audience listening and the performers playing. There's something really unusual about that. What do you love about South by Southwest? I lived in Austin for fve years of SXSW, and I've gone to the festival several times since then. My friends who live in Austin are like, "Oh, it's SXSW! We've got to get out of here!" and inevitably, I always want to come in for it. I know so many flmmakers and musicians who are coming into the city as Austin locals are pouring out. It's so much fun to be here for SXSW; there's always something to see, whether it's a movie I've done or a movie a friend has done. I remember being blown away by an amazing documentary about the Dixie Chicks [ Shut Up & Sing]. You just don't know what you're going to come across during the festival. You were a big supporter of Wendy Davis during her ill-fated bid to become Texas governor. What drew you to her? It started when she took that amazing stance during the [June 2013] AUSTINWAY.com 79