One of TV's most compelling leading ladies is undoubtedly Connie Britton, who spent the past decade (and then some) giving life to unforgettable characters like Friday Night Lights' Tami Taylor and Nashville's Rayna Jaymes. The actress' fans won't have to worry about her being gone from primetime for too long, either, as Britton has signed on for a large recurring role on the upcoming Showtime comedy SMILF.
Booking this role on SMILF will mark Connie Britton's long-awaited return to the comedy genre that broke her career wide open. (Who can forget her years as Nikki on the still-excellent Spin City?) And while this new gig may not be of the starring capacity just yet, fans shouldnt' expect to see a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo appearance.
SMILF is based a short film by creator Frankie Shaw, who stars as Bridgette BIrd, a twentysomething woman in Boston whose idealized approach to relationships, sex and a job is thwarted somewhat by the reality of being a young and single mother. And speaking of a job, Bridgette will work tutoring the children of Connie Britton's Ally, according to THR. Ally isn't the most stable person in the world, even as she works towards becoming a better person, and she doesn't understand the concept of personal boundaries too well, as she attempts to involve Bridgette in her life in ways that have little to do with tutoring.
Earlier this year, Connie Britton made the somewhat shocking exit from Nashville in the middle of Season 5; surprising, because it was a shock within the narrative itself, although fans had time to prepare after rumors surfaced that the actress would be skipping out on the drama during its first season at CMT. Beyond that, Friday Night Lights and Spin City, Britton is also known for starring in the first season of American Horror Story, for reteaming with Ryan Murphy for a couple of appearances in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, and she appeared earlier this year on American Dad. Here's hoping this role turns into something permanent.
Connie Britton is joining a cast that also includes Samara Weaving and Rosie O'Donnell, who is executive producing. Also recently cast was Raven Goodwin of Being Mary Jane fame, who will play Bridgett's perfectionist best friend Eliza. You can check out a trailer for the show below.
We'll all be able to check out Connie Britton's big return to TV at some point after SMILF premieres on Showtime on Sunday, November 5, at 10:00 p.m. ET. To see when everything else is hitting the small screen in the near future, head to our summer premiere schedule and our fall TV guide.
