Connie Britton has managed to become a star with her brilliant turn in ‘Friday Night Lights’ as well as her current show ‘Nashville’, but she explains that she had a close brush with stardom when she almost got the role opposite Tom Cruise in ‘Jerry Maguire’.
Connie Britton in 'Friday Night Lights'
She tells the New York Times that she received a copy of the script from Edward Burns, who had directed her in ‘The Brothers McCullen’, and she ended up nailing the audition with director Cameron Crowe.
She explains, “I loved the script, the role — I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is incredible.’ And I walked into my brand-new agent’s office the next day, and I put the script down on his desk, and I was like, ‘I have two words for you: Jerry Maguire.’”
Connie Britton at the airport
However, the day that she screentested for the role with Tom Cruise, they mentioned that they were going to test just one another actress – and lo and behold, Renee Zellweger won the part. Britton says, “It was heartbreak’, and goes on to explain how she spent the next decade doing bit television and film roles. Of course, everyone knows her big break then came ten years later with an offer to play a football coach’s wife on Friday Night Lights. Although she was initially hesitant to take the role, she did – and the rest, as they say, is history.
Connie Britton on the View
