30 Fascinating Facts About Connie Britton You Might Have Missed Before

Connie Britton, with a career spanning over 3 decades, is more of a household name in the Hollywood. A four time Primetime Emmy nominee, has been in the limelight not just for her acting life, but also for her singing career, as well as her philanthropic activities. Britton recently shared rare pictures of her son Eyob Britton, who is nine years old as of the time of writing. She left millions of fans mourning her sudden death as Rayna James in the “Nashville” series. Here are some really interesting facts about the American actress and producer, which will make you love her even more:

"UNDP Gala" by United Nations Development Programme is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

1.  Her performance as Debra Newell in the anthology series “Dirty John,” earned her a Golden Globe nomination in the Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film category.
2.  Britton became the 10th Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Development Program, the anti-poverty agency of the UN, on April 2, 2014.
3.  She was considered for the role of Olivia Pope in the 2012 series “Scandal,” when the initial talks were having a white woman play the leading role.
4.  Although it was not disclosed to the public, Britton had made it clear that she would sign only for the first season of “9-1-1,” in the role of Abby Clark.
5.  It was reported that she accepted the offer, more like a favor to co-creator Ryan Murphy, and that she did not want to commit to a multi-season contract after “Nashville.”
6.  Connie was born as Constance Elaine Womack to Edgar Allen Womack, Jr., and Linda Jane in Boston, Massachusetts. She has a fraternal twin sister named Cynthia Womack.
7.  Her father was a physicist, who worked as an executive in an energy company. She was raised in Rockville, Maryland. Her family moved to Lynchburg, Virginia, when she was just 7 years old.
8.  She actually started acting at the very young age of seven, when she, along with her twin sister, and their cousin, put on plays with names like "Murder on the Sunshine."
9.  She attended the E. C. Glass High School, where she has performed in various plays in the E. C. Glass High School Theater. Even today, her photo is displayed in the E. C. Glass Alumni Theater.
10.  She majored in Asian studies with Chinese as priority, at Dartmouth College. She was also a sister in Sigma Delta sorority at the college.

"Connie Britton visit to Kenya and Rwanda" by United Nations Development Programme is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

11.  In her freshman summer, she attended the Beijing Normal University in Beijing. She lived with future US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, while attending the Beijing Normal University.
12.  During the 2020 Democratic Party Presidential primaries, she endorsed Gillibrand, and appeared with her at her campaign events.
13.  Following her graduation, she moved to New York City, where she attended the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre with Sanford Meisner.
14.  It was during her time at the Neighborhood Playhouse, that she made her New York theatrical debut in Caroline Kava's “The Early Girl” at The Courtyard Playhouse.
15.  While her performance as seasoned prostitute Laurel in the play was well received, it nearly ousted her from the Neighborhood Playhouse program.
16.  This was because, as the rules of Neighborhood Playhouse program, students were not allowed to take up any kind of professional employment, during the course of their study.
17.  Before landing any major roles or acting gigs, she took up different jobs, like even teaching aerobics in college, to make ends meet.
18.  Following her graduation, she worked in various off-Broadway theatre productions for two years, before making her feature film debut in Edward Burns’ comedy-drama “The Brothers McMullen,” in the year 1995.
19.  With the film being highly successful, she moved to Los Angeles to start her career. She landed a recurring role in the ABC sitcom “Ellen.”
20.  She co-starred as Nikki Faber in the 1996 sitcom “Spin City,” alongside Michael J. Fox. But, her character was written out of the show, when Fox was replaced by Charlie Sheen.

"144758_3935" by Walt Disney Television is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

21.  She claimed in an interview with New York Times Magazine that, she was almost cast in the role of Dorothy Boyd in the 1996 movie “Jerry Maguire.”
22.  Britton had gone through multiple rounds of auditions, beating out several actresses, with the final being a screen test with the lead actor Tom Cruise.
23.  She was informed that the producers are down to a choice between Britton and just one other actress – Renee Zellweger, who ended up getting the role.
24.  She met John Britton, an investment banker at Alpha Delta House, while studying at Dartmouth College. The moved to Manhattan together in the year 1989.
25.  The couple got married on October 5, 1991. However, the relationship did not last long, as the duo announced that they have divorced in the year 1995.
26.  Connie Britton adopted a son named Eyob “Yoby” Britton, in November 2011, from Ethopia. He was only nine months old at that time, having born on January 25, 2011.
27.  Since then, she makes sure to have her son connected to his Ethopia roots, by taking him to his native often, during her free time.
28.  The period of 2008 to 2012 was important in Britton’s life, as she lost both her parents, within a span of three years, and started a family with her adopted son. She even moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2012, after being cast in the “Nashville.”
29.  In an interview with Sam Jones, she claimed that director Peter Berg of the 2004 movie “Friday Night Lights,” felt really bad about the outcome for her character in the movie, so, offered her the same role in the 2006 TV series “Friday Night Lights,” as he was the creator of the series.
30.  Having played Vivien in “American Horror Story: Murder House,” she wanted to play a role in “Coven” too, but due to her commitments to her show “Nashville,” she was not able to take up any role.
31.  Connie Britton Net Worth: $12 Million