15 Things You Didn't Know About Connie Britton

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past week, chances are you've heard Connie Britton's big news - she's officially hanging up her cowboy boots and saying goodbye to Rayna James, the character she's played for five seasons on Nashville. Rayna James was killed partway through the fifth season of the show, but it wasn't because the producers were sick of her and thought it was the best storyline - it was because Britton herself felt it was time to move on and try out a different role.

For the past decade, Britton has been a part of the cast of a successful television show, first with Friday Night Lights and then with Nashville. While she's done a few movie roles in the meantime, having your schedule jam-packed with filming twenty-some episodes of a television show every year definitely limits your opportunities to work on other projects. So, with her departure from the show, Britton is officially open to new opportunities - and we can't wait to see what she does next.

That's because Connie Britton is essentially the celeb you wish could be your BFF. She could give you hair tips and sage advice, and make you laugh, all at the same time. She definitely stands apart from the army of starlets out there, and that's why we love her.

Here are 15 things you may not know about Connie Britton.

15 She uses a stage name

It's kind of tough to imagine Connie Britton as anyone but Connie Britton, but it turns out that's not the name she grew up with - she was actually born Constance Elaine Womack. Seriously - it takes someone with major talent to pull off a name like that! Constance Womack (at the time) married an investment baker by the name of John Britton in 1991, and eventually got divorced in 1995, just as Connie's career was taking off. Because she had been using her married name at that point professionally, she continued to use it as her stage name. We also have to give her major props for shortening it - while Constance is a lovely name, it's definitely way more serious and not quite the fun-loving spirit that Connie is. There are many, many professionals in the entertainment industry who pick entirely new names, so Connie Britton's slight tweak isn't that crazy in comparison.

14 Her vocals are legit

For the past several years, Connie Britton played country superstar Rayna James on Nashville - and if you just assumed that they dubbed in an actual singer's voice whenever Rayna performed, you would be totally wrong. Turns out, Connie actually has a killer set of pipes, and part of that is due to several influences growing up. You see, her mother was actually a music teacher, which meant she was always surrounded by musical influences. Obviously, playing a superstar singer is no joke, so Connie did prepare with vocal lessons and plenty of studio time with legendary producer T-Bone Burnett, but still - that natural talent is all hers! Seriously - an amazing actress, a fascinating life, killer hair, and a great voice - is there anything this woman doesn't have totally mastered? We're not sure what projects Britton has on the horizon, but we hope she gets a few more roles where she can show off her amazing voice.

13 She has a twin sister

Many celebrities have siblings who the public doesn't really know much about because, well, they're not involved in the entertainment industry - and Connie Britton is one of them. Although, she doesn't just have a regular sister - the gorgeous actress actually has a twin sister named Cynthia (that's right - Constance and Cynthia, her parents did the adorable alliterative name thing). We can't help but wonder if she honed her acting skills growing up by doing the typical twin swaps that so many television shows and movies seem to portray. While Britton is making a splash on the red carpet and entertaining audiences around the world, her twin sister has an entirely different career, as a defense contractor for the Department of Energy in Virginia. Connie's busy schedule probably means she can't squeeze in as much family time as she'd like, but we bet that Aunt Cynthia totally dotes on her twin sister's adorable baby boy.

12 She lived with Lauren Graham

Okay, when it comes to actresses we could easily see ourselves hanging out with and having a fantastic time, Lauren Graham is probably at the top of the list, just as Connie Britton is. Both women, although they're gorgeous and crazy talented, are hilarious and down to earth and seem like they'd be totally fun to spend time with. And it turns out, Graham and Britton have a connection that goes way, way back - when they were young and trying to make it in the entertainment industry, the two actually lived together for a period of time. It wasn't all glitz and glamour, though - Lauren Graham dished in an interview with Andy Cohen that “We had no furniture and all we ate were Rice Krispies Treats.” Uh, see what we mean? Totally relatable. Not to mention, it's somewhat comforting to know that the two superstar actresses with glamorous lives were once just like the rest of us.

11 She attended Dartmouth

When it comes to individuals in the entertainment industry who actually went the college route rather than trying to make it fresh out of high school, a large majority of them end up going to school in California. After all, if they want to make it big in Hollywood, it makes sense to at least be close to it, right? That way you can go on auditions between classes. However, Connie Britton took a bit of a different path - the East Coast girl actually attended Dartmouth for her degree. And, unlike many others in the entertainment industry who pursued things related to their craft, such as a Theatre degree, Britton opted to major in Asian Studies with a concentration in Chinese - she even spent a period of time studying abroad at Beijing Normal University when she was a freshman. Seriously - this woman is just full of interesting surprises! No wonder she's such a superstar

10 She speaks fluent Chinese

Okay, let's be honest - it's impressive when anyone, including a celebrity, can speak multiple languages. There are many celebs who can rattle off an interview in a different language, but a lot of them speak the language they grew up with - for example, Mila Kunis' flawless Russian. Others just learned a language because they thought it would be fun - and that's exactly what Connie Britton did. When she was majoring in Asian studies at Dartmouth, she learned Chinese because, well, it would be kind of silly to major in the study of a particular culture without speaking at least one native tongue! So, as it turns out, she speaks fluent Chinese - which is pretty badass. If Connie ever decides that she wants to try her hand at action movies, we have a feeling her linguistic skills would make her seem like a really cool secret agent. Of course, she also uses her language skills in real life as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.

9 She got her television start on a sitcom, not a drama

Nowadays, people know Connie Britton best for her roles in television dramas - the iconic Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights, the superstar Rayna James on Nashville. However, before those roles came along, Britton was just another struggling actress trying to make it big in the entertainment industry - and her first television gig was on the sitcom Ellen. Her character had a short arc, and while the show itself didn't stick around for that long, it made a huge impact on Britton. When she was on The Ellen DeGeneres Show back in 2011 promoting one of her many successful projects, she confessed that “When I got on the Ellen show, my dreams came true.” It just goes to show that this humble star doesn't forget her roots. Well, her talent certainly had a big role in that as well - she's since been nominated for countless award including three Best Actress Emmys and a Golden Globe for Best Actress.

8 She has an adorable adopted son

Over a decade ago, Connie Britton decided to pursue a passion of hers and begin working on a documentary about Ethiopian orphans. While the finished product isn't quite ready yet (when there's no big studio budget and clock ticking, sometimes take a while!) she did get a true treasure from the experience - it's how she ended up meeting Yoby, an adorable Ethiopian boy who she ended up adopting. You see, in true lady boss fashion, in 2011 Britton decided she wasn't about to wait around for a man in order to achieve her dream of being a mom - so she adopted Yoby. She has primarily raised him in Nashville, as she's spent the majority of his younger years there filming for the show, but now that she's no longer playing Rayna James she's taking him back to the Hollywood Hills. Hopefully he likes it just as much as he loved Nashville!

7 She has a Mustang convertible named Scarlett

Yes, we're totally serious. When it comes to her choice of vehicle, Connie Britton isn't about to pick a boring mini van. Nope - she's going all out with a vintage 1972 convertible. She named her personality-packed convertible Scarlett, which is kind of hilarious considering her character Rayna James was well acquainted with another talented Scarlett on Nashville, played by Clare Bowen. And if you're imagining Britton driving with the breeze blowing her hair, well, that's pretty accurate. As she told Us Weekly, “I used to drive it back and forth between Austin and L.A. when I was filming Friday Night Lights.” Honestly? We totally dig the image of Connie cruising in a Mustang convertible, and quite frankly, if there's anyone who would be immune to the dangers of wind-blown hair, it would be Connie Britton. You don't have to worry about what your hair looks like when your hair looks like hers.

6 She's an awful cook

On Nashville, you didn't often see Rayna James whipping up huge family meals because she was a super busy country superstar. And, it turns out, that isn't too far from the truth in real life - when it comes to the kitchen, Connie Britton isn't about to transform into one of those stars who gets their own cooking show, because she isn't that great with a saute pan. According to Britton, there's just one thing she's a master at - eggs. “I am a terrible cook, except for eggs. I cook excellent eggs,” Britton said. Hey - some healthy fats, protein, eggs aren't exactly the worst dish to be able to master. While she definitely makes eating healthy a priority - I mean, just check out that killer physique and glowing skin - she prefer to grab healthy meals that someone else has prepared rather than spending hours meal prepping in the kitchen. It makes sense - she's a busy actress!

5 She was once an aerobics instructor

Unless they're very, very lucky, it's rare for an actor to snag a huge role right away that catapults them to the A-List. Sure, some have pulled it off thanks to stardom in their teenage years, but for the majority of actors, it takes quite a few years of struggling before they manage to finally land a few prime gigs and eventually become Hollywood royalty. Most end up waiting tables - the quintessential struggling actor job - or working in retail, or whipping up lattes. Britton took a bit of a different path. When she was struggling to make it as an actress, she too had to support herself with different types of odd jobs, and while she did stints in retail, her most interesting job was as an aerobics instructor. That's right - Britton helped other ladies whip themselves into shape, all while clad in spandex with legwarmers on her toned legs.

4 She nearly got the lead in Jerry Maguire

It's super interesting to find out which roles or iconic films certain actors or actresses were considered for but didn't get - sometimes, you can totally see them in the part they missed out on, and sometimes, you can't imagine anyone but the person who actually ended up scoring the gig. Connie Britton had one of those close calls right at the beginning of her career, just as she was trying to get established in the entertainment industry. She was in the running for the female lead in Jerry Maguire, where she would be starring opposite Tom Cruise. She went through the process of several auditions and call backs, and even did a screen test with Cruise, and at the end of the day, it was down to just her and one other actress. As you probably know, Britton ended up losing the role to Renee Zelwegger, and she's joked before that it may be because she was just too tall.

3 She was born in Boston (even though she does a killer Southern accent)

Two of Britton's most iconic roles, Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights and Rayna James on Nashville, have her acting with a perfect subtle Southern drawl. In fact, it's a bit startling to hear here in regular interviews without it, because most audiences have gotten so accustomed to hearing the slight twang in her voice on screen. However, in real life, Britton is actually an east coast girl who was born in Boston, Massachusetts (and no, she doesn't have the signature Boston accent). Perhaps some of Britton's affinity for accents comes from the fact that she was actually raised near the south, in Virginia, from the time she was about seven years old. Still - being able to do an accent in a way that makes it seem real is a true skill, and Britton pulls it off flawlessly. We wouldn't be surprised to see her playing Southern characters for years to come.

2 She lived under a landmark

For the past few years, Britton has split her time between her home in Nashville and her home in Los Angeles. However, her L.A. spot isn't just any old house - it has a pretty amazing location. It turns out, Britton's home in the Hollywood Hills is beneath the letter “D” of the iconic Hollywood sign, which is kind of amazing. We bet her home in Nashville is just as stunning, but when it comes to real estate, it's all about location - and being right under a landmark like that is pretty incredible. Now that she's officially moving back to sunny California, we can't help but wonder if we'll be treated to selfies of Britton near the landmark while she's out taking her son on walks or hikes in the hills. Britton totally fits in in Nashville thanks to her easy smile and sense of hospitality, but we have a feeling she'll be happy to be home in Los Angeles as well.

1 She hates horror

Those who just aren't big fans of country music or high school football may enjoy watching Connie Britton in another one of her incredible television shows, American Horror Story. She starred in the first season of the show and was nominated for an Emmy for her performance. However, while she managed to pull off the role with skill when she's the one acting in the scenes, when it comes time to watch the show, she's turning the television off - because she absolutely hates horror. “I started watching it [an episode of American Horror Story] at night, and I just couldn't. I had to turn it off. I'm such a baby.” Hey, we feel her - horror definitely isn't everyone's cup of tea. Perhaps this means we'll see Britton flexing her comedic skills in a few more light-hearted roles in the future? One can only hope!

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