Why Connie Britton’s New Role Is Her Most Meaningful Yet (EXCLUSIVE)

When Connie Britton walks into a room, it’s her signature cascade of long red hair that turns heads first. At 58, the actress, singer, songwriter, and now creator and executive producer remains a captivating force, known for her unforgettable roles on both the big and small screen. From winning hearts in Friday Night Lights to stealing scenes in Nashville, and adding depth to American Horror Story and HBO’s The White Lotus, Connie has long proven she can do it all.

Now, she’s stepping into a new role with The Motherhood, an unscripted series premiering Monday, May 5 on the Hallmark Channel. As the show’s creator, executive producer and host, Connie brings her personal journey—and that of other moms—into the spotlight. As a single mom to a 13-year-old son, Connie admits that motherhood has been a powerful and humbling learning curve, one that continues to shape her from the inside out.

She will also be starring in Overcompensating, a new Prime Video series debuting May 15, where she plays, fittingly, a mom.

The Emmy and Golden Globe nominee says being a mother has taught her to tune into her needs and speak up for herself. “I stand up for myself much more now,” Connie shares, “and make sure I have time for myself.”

Connie graces the Mother’s Day cover of FIRST for Women (get your copy here!)—and she opens up about career, self-care and what motherhood has taught her about embracing growth, strength and grace. Read on for a sneak peek of our intimate interview.

FIRST for Women (FFW): Hosting ‘The Motherhood’ series—were you surprised by some moms saying their body and energy changed once they became a mom?

Connie Britton: The whole point of the show is how much pressure falls on moms—and the importance of having a village around you. I had just adopted my son Yoby when I started working on Nashville.

The idea for The Motherhood series came from my experience at that time. I moved to Nashville making decisions the way I always had, not realizing that motherhood changes everything. I didn’t know anyone there, had a newborn, no community, no support system and was suddenly working 18-hour days. It was borderline traumatizing—trying to figure out how to be a mom for the first time while carrying major responsibilities on the show. I was lucky to have a nanny, but even then, I just wanted to be with my child. 

FFW: What do you think you learned about yourself in creating The Motherhood series?

Connie Britton: The series really reflects what I’ve learned over my 13 years as a mom—and what I’m still learning, especially through doing the show. One of the best parts is working with other single moms. I learn from each of them how they’re managing, how they’re getting through.

I’ve realized we all carry this deep sense of aloneness and have to find ways to cope with it. We’re mentally and physically exhausted because we’re not just running our own lives—we’re running someone else’s too, someone who can’t do it for themselves. Nothing prepares you for that. The biggest shock for me was how much energy, effort and brainpower it takes just to think for another human being. That hit me hard.

FFW: What helps you sustain energy and stamina during these hectic times?

Connie Britton: That’s a great question—and honestly, I still don’t have the perfect answer. It’s one of the central themes of the show and something that resonates far beyond single moms: we all tend to put our own needs aside while caring for others.

I’m still figuring it out myself. I’ve always loved going out to dinner with friends, and now I’ve raised a kid who enjoys that too. I do try to carve out time for myself. I have a boyfriend now, and we aim for at least one night a week with just us. That feels healthy to me, and I try to protect that time—but it’s not easy, especially as my son gets older and his schedule fills up. I still want to be there for everything he needs.

It’s about restructuring that thinking and understanding that doing something that represents and is meaningful for you, that is healthy, that’s important, that’s sacred and that benefits your child.

FFW: What is self-care for you?

Connie Britton: Day-to-day self-care can be as simple as a hike in the hills behind my house—that helps a lot. I’ve let regular exercise slide, thinking, “I did enough of that for 40 years.” But I still love being outside in the fresh air, walking around. That always feeds me.

I can turn those walks into a kind of meditation too. I used to have a regular meditation practice, but that slipped away when I became a mom. Now, I’m trying to find ways to bring it back into my life.

FFW: What does Mother’s Day mean to you?

Connie Britton: Mother’s Day has become about honoring the sanctity of motherhood—for myself and for my own mom. She passed away before I became a mother, and on Mother’s Day I often think about all the things I wish I could’ve asked her.

When I first became a single mom, Mother’s Day felt surprisingly lonely. It was a reminder that I was doing this on my own. For me, it’s a day to deeply honor the full complexity of motherhood—how much it demands, how much it teaches, and how much space it allows for imperfection.

No one really knows how to be a mom—we figure it out as we go. There’s real courage in stepping into motherhood knowing you’re bound to mess up. Some days I feel like I’ve succeeded—either as a mom or at work—but it’s never perfect.

My mom came from a generation that did for others, and her self-confidence came from that. I’ve had to grow my own self-confidence almost in honor of my mom. Also, there’s a real courage in taking on something like becoming a mom and knowing you’re bound to mess it up. Inevitably, there will be failure, so leave room for that.

FFW: Your role in ‘Friday Night Lights’ as Tami Taylor has become a role model of sorts for other women. She was brave and nurturing. Why do you think she resonated so much with viewers?

CB: What was interesting about that role was that she was a woman in a very traditional, male-dominated world—and we saw her through the lens of that world. The show centered around high school football, a space that’s typically male in perspective. I grew up in that kind of environment, so I understood it.

When I played Tami, I wanted to honor the women I knew growing up—my mom, her friends, my family. They were strong, even within a world that had very conventional expectations for women. I didn’t judge that world; I wanted to show that women can be powerful within it.

For me, Tami was about exploring how women find their strength and voice inside traditional norms. I think that resonated with a lot of women. It’s still our struggle—yes, we’ve come a long way, but we’ve still got a long way to go. Our voices matter. They give us identity and purpose, and we should never let convention dim our light.

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