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Emmys 2013: Connie Britton on being a role model and taking risks

Connie Britton talks drama at the Envelope Emmy Round Table.
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
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After five years playing the strong, supportive guidance counselor and wife Tami Taylor on the football drama ā€œFriday Night Lights,ā€ itā€™s no surprise Connie Britton developed an image as something of a role model.

ā€œWhen ā€˜Friday Night Lightsā€™ was over, I definitely was almost stunted in a way by having this sense of responsibility ā€” that I needed to somehow maintain this role model or this image that I was putting out into the world, and that I had a responsibility to that,ā€ Britton said during a recent Envelope Emmy Round Table on the topic of TV dramas.

WATCH: The Envelope Emmy Roundtable | Drama

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As flattering as all that was, Britton, who now stars on the musical drama ā€œNashville,ā€ said she believes in taking risks as an actor and challenging herself.

ā€œI went and did ā€˜American Horror Story,ā€™ which kind of just demystified all that and made it a lot less precious and gave me a good sense of humor about what Iā€™m doing in the world,ā€ Britton said.

ā€œAnd [it] really made me realize that as actors, itā€™s not so much the message of the character that weā€™re playing as much as ā€” at least I think ā€” what part of ourselves weā€™re investing in the work. And I think that audiences feel that, and I think storytelling and telling human stories is such an important thing in the world.ā€

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Brittonā€™s latest leap of faith finds her singing on ā€œNashville,ā€ an endeavor she modestly described as ā€œterrifying, probably kind of a stupid thing to take on, but ultimately really rewarding.ā€ For more from Britton, watch the video.

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