‘SMILF’ Star Connie Britton Reveals Which ‘Nashville’ Actor She Talks To Most

Connie Britton isn’t on “Nashville” anymore, but she’s still in touch with the cast. She told International Business Times that she has spoken to the remaining actors as they wrap up the CMT drama.

“I definitely have been in contact with everybody about just, you know, wanting to send the show off in a great way,” Britton revealed Tuesday night in New York at a For Your Consideration event for “SMILF.”

So who is she keeping in touch with the most? “Probably Chip, Charles Esten,” she answered.

Esten plays Deacon Claybourne, who has been grieving since the death of Britton’s Rayna Jaymes last year. He’s finally moving on in “Nashville” Season 6, but could we see his true love again in a dream sequence or flashback? Britton wouldn’t reveal if Rayna will be seen again in the series finale on CMT this summer.

Instead, she is focusing on her comedy series. Her first post-“Nashville” TV show was Showtime’s critically acclaimed “SMILF” where she plays Ally, a wealthy mother who employs single mom Bridgette, played by showrunner Frankie Shaw.

“This was such a perfect post-‘Nashville’ project because it was so different for me,” the actress told IBT. “I love the way that Frankie works. To work with somebody who is the creative vision behind the show, but she’s also there on set with you every day and you’re kind of exploring story and character as you go, and it’s improvised and funny — to me, it’s a way that I love to work. And it was just a very different road to go down after ‘Nashville’ so that was really, really fun.”

Ally is not a very good mother, which makes her super different from the characters Britton is known for, like Rayna Jaymes and Tami Taylor. “It’s really fun for me because I feel like I’ve played so many moms who are really doing it right,” the “Friday Night Lights” alum said. “So to play so badly someone who wants to be a good mom but just doesn’t have the tools and the bandwidth to do it is a really fun departure for me. Because I love her just as much.”

Britton will return to the half-hour Showtime comedy in Season 2, which is set to start filming soon. She isn’t sure what Shaw has planned for Ally in the new episodes, but she hopes to see the matriarch figure some stuff out. “You know, this character in particular really is, I think she’s searching for something that feels like her own personal independence and freedom, so it would be fun to see her try to get somehow nearer to whatever that is for her,” she said.

“SMILF” Season 1 is available now on Showtime Anytime. Season 2 is set to debut later this year.