When Connie Britton took on the role of Tami Taylor on NBC's "Friday Night Lights," her character became the ultimate TV mom and role model for women everywhere.
But when the critically-acclaimed "Friday Night Lights" came to an end five years later, Britton was faced with what seemed like an impossible feat: stepping out of Tami Taylor's shadow.
“I really wasn’t kidding in that moment,” Britton told The New York Times Magazine of telling Chelsea Handler that she "didn't know who she was" without her "FNL" character. “I felt a sense of responsibility to that character ... But you have to go somewhere."
Since then, Britton has starred in "American Horror Story" and is currently on "Nashville," but she was hesitant about taking on both roles.
“The thing about taking risks is, if it’s really a risk, you really can fail,” she said. “It’s only a pretend risk if you really can’t fail.”
Although her character Rayna James on "Nashville" has been well-received, Britton wasn't sure people would love her in the NBC musical drama.
"I'm the remedial student in our cast of singers -- everyone else has great voices, and I'm the one who only did it back in drama school," Britton told New York magazine in August. "I started singing this Bonnie Raitt song with my vocal coach the other, and I literally burst into tears because I'll never sound as good as Bonnie Raitt."
"Nashville" airs on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.
