Latest news with #TheMotherhood
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Connie Britton created the TV show she needed as a single mom who felt all alone
For Connie Britton, mum's frequently not the word; it's the role. Supportive Tami Taylor on NBC's 'Friday Night Lights,' singing Rayna Jaymes on ABC's 'Nashville,' tech CFO Nicole Mossbacher on HBO's 'The White Lotus,' and more recently, mom from beyond Elizabeth in Netflix film 'The Life List.' Up next, she'll appear in the Amazon Prime comedy 'Overcompensating,' debuting May 15, as the mom of a closeted college student (Benito Skinner). 'I just kind of realized recently, I'm like, 'Oh gosh, I've played a lot of moms. What's that about?' Britton says with a laugh. The Emmy-nominated actress, 58, says she received an offer for her first mom role in her early 30s. She remembers being "so horrified at the idea, like, 'How could I possibly be old enough to be playing a mom?' Now, I love playing moms because every single mom I play, I try to understand each one as the unique human being that they are.' In real life, Britton is a mother to her teenage son Yoby, whom she adopted from Ethiopia in 2011. The following year, she moved to Nashville (where she didn't know anyone) for the ABC drama and worked 16- to 18-hour days. Her experience as a single parent inspired Britton to create 'The Motherhood,' a Hallmark Channel reality series enlisting the help of experts to make life easier for single moms, debuting May 5 (Mondays, 8 ET/PT). Britton describes 'The Motherhood' in the show's premiere as 'a community of single moms created to provide support to one another when you need it the most.' Britton helped when a friend who worked in costumes on 'Nashville,' a single mom to four kids, forgot to give her son lunch money. The actress dropped off money at his school. 'And it was in that moment that I thought, 'Gosh, it would be so great to create some kind of resource and community for single moms, where people could volunteer and just one day a week go grocery shopping for them or take care of the kids, or just do something that would give that mom a little bit of support and a little bit of help,'' she says. Over six hourlong episodes, Destini Ann Davis offers women parenting advice, Taryn Hicks elevates their style and Angela Rose makes their homes more beautiful and functional. (If the premise seems a little familiar, the show is produced by Scout Productions, also behind Netflix's 'Queer Eye.') 'The thing is – and this is the point of my show – you can't just do it on your own,' Britton says. Single moms need community, she says, a support system. 'I adopted my son and I've always been kind of an independent gal. So I sort of thought, 'I got this,' and I feel like I have a lot of maternal instincts, all the things. But when I suddenly was really the mother of an infant child and I was all by myself, it was quite an eye-opening experience. 'The feeling of being alone in it was really profound,' she says. 'And let me be clear, this is with me having the resources to be able to afford help. That, to me, is just an enormous privilege and blessing, and also, it doesn't necessarily fill all the void. There's still a lot of feeling of, 'What am I supposed to do?' and 'I don't know how to do this,' which I think, by the way, that resonates for all parents.' The series premiere introduces viewers to Tasha, a professor with a 5-year-old daughter, Busy. Tasha's living room is overrun with her daughter's toys, and Tasha admits she 'realized I don't see myself in this house anymore.' She needs to create a space for herself in her home and reconnect to her identity outside of being a mom. An 'overwhelmed and overextended' Rochelle is the focus of Episode 2. She has two young sons, Jacob and Owen, and works several jobs to support her family. Rochelle manages a foundation and is a parent aide for foster care. She has also started a T-shirt design company and balloon decorating business to save money for her sons' college. Rochelle tells Connie, 'I want my boys to see how resilient mommies can be.' Britton says she observed that each of the single moms featured 'had real tangible change in their lives, from the things that they learned about themselves and the support that they were able to put in and the idea that they could actually ask for help.' One participant got a job after her episode, Britton says, and another went on a date. 'All of these things where it's like, they allowed themselves to be courageous enough to open up to the community that we were trying to provide and create,' she says. 'And they have now run with that.' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Connie Britton's 'The Motherhood' created for her fellow single moms
USA Today
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Connie Britton created the TV show she needed as a single mom who felt all alone
Connie Britton created the TV show she needed as a single mom who felt all alone Show Caption Hide Caption Mother's Day: Easy ways to make your mom feel special Here are some easy ways to celebrate your mom this Mother's Day. Problem Solved For Connie Britton, mum's frequently not the word; it's the role. Supportive Tami Taylor on NBC's 'Friday Night Lights,' singing Rayna Jaymes on ABC's 'Nashville,' tech CFO Nicole Mossbacher on HBO's 'The White Lotus' and more recently mom from beyond Elizabeth in Netflix film 'The Life List.' Up next, she'll appear in the Amazon Prime comedy 'Overcompensating,' debuting May 15, as the mom of a closeted college student (Benito Skinner). 'I just kind of realized recently, I'm like, 'Oh gosh, I've played a lot of moms. What's that about?' Britton says with a laugh. The Emmy-nominated actress, 58, says she received an offer for her first mom role in her early 30s. She remembers being "so horrified at the idea, like, 'How could I possibly be old enough to be playing a mom?' Now, I love playing moms because every single mom I play, I try to understand each one as the unique human being that they are.' In real life, Britton is a mother to her teenage son Yoby, whom she adopted from Ethiopia in 2011. The following year she moved to Nashville (where she didn't know anyone) for the ABC drama and worked 16- to-18-hour days. Her experience as a single parent inspired Britton to create 'The Motherhood,' a Hallmark Channel reality series enlisting the help of experts to make life easier for single moms, debuting May 5 (Mondays, 8 ET/PT). Britton describes 'The Motherhood' in the show's premiere as 'a community of single moms created to provide support to one another when you need it the most.' Britton helped out when a friend who worked in costumes on 'Nashville,' a single mom to four kids, forgot to give her son lunch money. The actress dropped off money at his school. 'And it was in that moment that I thought, 'Gosh, it would be so great to create some kind of resource and community for single moms, where people could volunteer and just one day a week go grocery shopping for them or take care of the kids, or just do something that would give that mom a little bit of support and a little bit of help,'' she says. Over six hourlong episodes, Destini Ann Davis offers women parenting advice, Taryn Hicks elevates their style and Angela Rose makes their homes more beautiful and functional. (If the premise seems a little familiar, the show is produced by Scout Productions, also behind Netflix's 'Queer Eye.') 'The thing is – and this is the point of my show – you can't just do it on your own,' Britton says. Single moms need community, she says, a support system. 'I adopted my son and I've always been kind of an independent gal. So I sort of thought, 'I got this,' and I feel like I have a lot of maternal instincts, all the things. But when I suddenly was really the mother of an infant child and I was all by myself, it was quite an eye-opening experience. 'The feeling of being alone in it was really profound,' she says. 'And let me be clear, this is with me having the resources to be able to afford help. That, to me, is just an enormous, privilege and blessing, and also it doesn't necessarily fill all the void. There's still a lot of feeling of, 'What am I supposed to do?' and 'I don't know how to do this,' which I think, by the way, that resonates for all parents.' The series premiere introduces viewers to Tasha, a professor with a 5-year-old daughter, Busy. Tasha's living room is overrun with her daughter's toys, and Tasha admits she 'realized I don't see myself in this house anymore.' She needs to create a space for herself in her home and reconnect to her identity outside of being a mom. An 'overwhelmed and overextended' Rochelle is the focus of Episode 2. She has two young sons, Jacob and Owen, and works several jobs to support her family. Rochelle manages a foundation and is a parent aide for foster care. She has also started a T-shirt design company and balloon decorating business to save money for her sons' college. Rochelle tells Connie, 'I want my boys to see how resilient mommies can be.' Britton says she observed that each of the single moms featured 'had real tangible change in their lives, from the things that they learned about themselves and the support that they were able to put in and the idea that they could actually ask for help.' One participant got a job after her episode, Britton says, another went on a date. 'All of these things where it's like, they allowed themselves to be courageous enough to open up to the community that we were trying to provide and create,' she says. 'And they have now run with that.'
Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Susan Sarandon's nepo baby daughter gives update after plastic surgery
Eva Amurri is very happy with the results of her breast reduction. Last month, Susan Sarandon 's daughter underwent the surgery and she is ecstatic over the results. 'Oh my God, I'm so happy,' she told Page Six at an event for Connie Britton 's new show, The Motherhood on Thursday. 'I feel like they've never looked this good in my entire life — even when I was 18.' 'It's so freeing and amazing to feel so comfortable in my own skin, to really look at myself and see myself proportional for the first time,' Eva, 40, added. Amurri revealed that she was going under the knife in early April and marked the occasion with a 'bye bye boobies' cake. She shared that she wanted the surgery for '20 years,' but she hadn't done it before now 'because I was scared of judgement. I gaslit myself into thinking I didn't have to feel totally comfortable in my body.' Trolls went after her when she posted photos from her wedding to chef Ian Hock last year. Eva wore a strapless dress that showed off her bust line beautifully but internet trolls wouldn't leave her alone. She clapped back, noting that her 'size 32F' boobs [had been] minding their business.' Last month, Eva announced on social media that she would be undergoing the breast reduction procedure and further opened up about the decision on her blog called Happily Eva After. She expressed that it was her 'first surgery' and also the first time she has ever been put to sleep under anesthesia. The media personality shared that she had 32F breasts prior to the procedure and said that there were both pros and cons to having larger breasts. The star typed that, 'having extremely large breasts can not only affect you physically but also mentally. It can make you extremely self-conscious and insecure. 'Oh my God, I'm so happy,' she told Page Six at an event for Connie Britton 's new show, The Motherhood on Thursday 'They hurt your back, they're hard to clothe, and most importantly: you can't take them off and take a break. 'That's been the hardest part. Having huge boobs has been a blast at times!' When she became a mother, Eva expressed that her breast size fluctuated and also 'contributed to drooping and sagging.' After turning 40 earlier this year, she 'realized that I can absolutely do scary things, and most importantly that living how I want to live in my own body is WORTH IT.' The surgery also comes less than a year after Eva hit back at critics who had been 'scandalized' by the plunging wedding gown that she wore at her nuptials in July 2024. She said 'I do' to chef Ian Hock after the pair became engaged in 2023. The actress was previously married to Kyle Martino from 2011 until their divorce was finalized in 2020 - and the former couple share three children. During the romantic ceremony, Eva wore a Kim Kassas wedding gown as well as a long, sheer veil. After garnering comments that told her that her breasts should have been 'put away' - she jumped to Instagram to offer her own response. After garnering comments that told her that her breasts should have been 'put away' - she jumped to Instagram to offer her own response Alongside a photo of herself posing with Ian on their wedding day, she typed out: 'And to anyone scandalized by my breasts not being "put away"....' Eva then posted the same image to zoom in closer to her chest and added, 'Feel free to screenshot this for later,' along with a kissing face emoji.
Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
White Lotus alum Connie Britton reveals the strict condition she gave creator Mike White for her return
Connie Britton would like to reprise her role in White Lotus with one caveat. The Friday Night Lights alum, 58, appeared in season one of the HBO series, which was set in Hawaii, as Nicole Mossbacher. And she's ready to step back into her role if it is set in a specific city. 'I keep telling them, "Listen, when you're ready to do White Lotus: Aspen, let's do it,"' Britton quipped during an exclusive interview with Us Weekly. The Nashville star still gets asked about the show all the time. 'I have talked for several years to [creator] Mike White about shooting another season of that show, which I would love to do,' she told the outlet while promoting her Hallmark reality series The Motherhood. She explained that it is not easy for her to pack up and spend six months in Thailand, or whatever exotic locale the show is shooting in. 'We shot that show during COVID. So my son was able to go with me when we shot it,' the actress explained. Connie adopted son Eyob (nicknamed Yoby), now 14, in 2011, 'He would do COVID Zoom school starting at 5:00 a.m. from Hawaii. But that show now means you go spend six months in Thailand to shoot [a season].' Taking that much time away from home is 'not realistic' for Britton right now. 'As much as I would love to do it, it's a whole thing. I've definitely had to say no to [other jobs before].' Britton has raised Yoby on her own, and she used the experience of being thrown into motherhood without any instructions in her new unscripted Hallmark series The Motherhood. The show follows Britton as she connects with single moms who are juggling the demands of work, parenting and self-care. 'When I became a single mom, it was kind of a big awakening for me where I realized, like, "Whoa, this is no joke,"' she said. And she's ready to step back into her role if it is set in a specific city. Seen here in 2021 'Obviously being a parent period is a big, big transition and a big change in life, but doing it by yourself is kind of a whole other thing,' Britton told Us. 'And so I learned in that process how important having a community is and a support system. 'I started thinking, "Gosh, I'm one of the lucky ones. I am able to have help when I need it." 'And so many single moms and single parents in the world don't have the privilege of that."' Britton set her mind to 'really change the cultural persepective' on single parenthood. 'I'm hopeful that this show is going to kind of help contribute to reshaping how we think about single parents and maybe look out for each other a little bit more in our communities and say, 'Oh, I would love to lend a hand to this person,"' she added. 'As they say, it takes a village,' she said. The Motherhood premieres Monday, May 5, on the Hallmark Channel and streams next day on Hallmark+. Friday Night Lights is getting a reboot with new characters, leaving behind the cast of the 2006 series starring Britton, Kyle Chandler and Minka Kelly. Now a reboot is reportedly percolating at Universal Television with a new storyline - and is allegedly generating fierce competition over the streaming rights.
New York Post
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Connie Britton goes unscripted on Hallmark's ‘The Motherhood'
Chances are there's a Connie Britton character you absolutely adore. Whether it's Rayna Jaymes on 'Nashville,' Tami Taylor on 'Friday Night Lights' or, for Gen Xers, Nikki Faber on 'Spin City,' Britton is a cherished part of the American TV and film landscape. There's just something about her: That voice with a delicate hint of twang in it, that trademark strawberry blond mane, the sense that she'd be your closest confidante if you were lucky enough to have her in your social orbit Now that she's a mom to a teenager, she's garnering a new generation of fans, Britton says, joining Alexa on Zoom from her home in LA. 'I'll do a lot of things with kids around my son's age, and I'm getting a lot of parents saying, 'I just started watching 'Friday Night Lights' with my kids,'' the 58-year-old Britton says with a laugh. 'There's another generation discovering it, and that's really fun.' That's to say nothing of Britton's chops for dark comedy, like her roles as a gaslighting college dean in 2020's 'Promising Young Woman,' a pampered lifestyle guru in the first season of 'The White Lotus' and a therapist-turned-girlfriend in 2014's 'This Is Where I Leave You.' The one version of her we haven't seen much of is … Connie Britton. For the first time in her career, Britton's appearing in an unscripted show: Hallmark's 'The Motherhood,' out May 5, in which Britton hosts a six-episode series focusing on building a support system for single mothers, one mom per week. Together with three experts the show dubs 'The Neighbor Ladies,' Britton talks to each mom about the particular challenges she's facing and confers with her experts to come up with a plan to devise supports. The other moms join in the support group, with the goal of creating a community of friends that'll last long after the cameras are off. 'I don't watch a lot of reality TV,' Britton admits. 'But I watched 'Queer Eye,' because to me, there was something so genuine and authentic about it.' She partnered with the 'Queer Eye' production company, Scout, to bring 'The Motherhood' to fruition. 'This became a real dream of mine, because of my own experience as a single mom, but also, I saw a real need for it.' In a media landscape with bountiful examples of single moms on scripted shows — think 'Gilmore Girls,' 'Jane the Virgin,' 'Ginny & Georgia,' 'Better Things' — a glaring lack of attention to single motherhood marks the reality show landscape. 'There's just a real void in the stories we're telling in our culture around the reality of what it is to be a single mom,' Britton says. She's eager to start a course correction, and she wants to do it in the spirit of sisterhood. 'This is not something where people are coming on the air to be torn down!' Britton says. 'They're all willing participants, and we're showing them in the most loving and authentic way.' It's an idea Britton's been workshopping for years, inspired by her own experience adopting her son, Eyob (she calls him Yoby) from Ethiopia in 2011, when she was just starting work on 'Nashville.' 'It's so all-consuming,' she says. 'Nobody tells you. I think people always feel that way, like, 'I wish somebody had warned me.' But the truth is, it's very hard to convey what it takes to be a good parent. Especially when you're doing it by yourself!' It was a juggling act that opened her eyes to the ways in which single motherhood can be both empowering and isolating. 'I've gone through a lot of it, and I can share my own experience. Also, I've had a lot of privilege, and I want to be able to help people who have less.' For Britton, who describes herself as a very private person, that need to help compelled her to share herself on-camera. 'I would have thought that I would have been more guarded, or self-protective or something, but the purpose of us all being there was so powerful,' she says. 'The Motherhood' was shot in Kansas City, a perfect showcase for how single moms are living in the heartland. Britton was excited for another reason: 'I always wanted to go to Kansas, which is a real throwback to being a child who was mesmerized by 'The Wizard of Oz.'' 6 Dress, $2,550 at Giambattista Valli; Ring in 18-k white gold with moonstone, demantoid garnets and diamonds, price upon request at Dena Kemp Jewelry; Bracelet, price upon request at Alexis Bittar Photography by Victoria Will Befitting an 'Oz' lover, Alexa shot Britton in a series of dazzling looks (minus the ruby slippers), in New York's Fifth Avenue Hotel. 'It's an old mansion, and it was owned by the same family for years,' says Britton, who was entranced by the renovated property where she modeled a series of gowns she describes as 'stunning, like, beyond, beyond!' Her top pick was a flowy Zimmermann dress: 'The most unbelievable gown fit for a queen!' Britton also wore pieces she's got her eye on for future events. 'One was this beautiful red silk with a high slit up the leg, and I was like, I could wear this dress. Another had shimmery silver beading, so I felt like a chandelier. In the best way. Those two pieces I loved, because I'm a practical girl at heart, and I was like, I could wear these to an event and be comfortable!' Most of all, she cherished the connection between her motherhood, 'The Motherhood' and embracing glamour. 'It was very cool, as a mom in her fifties, to do a gorgeous, sexy fashion shoot,' she says. 'I love that I had the opportunity to do this beautiful shoot in such a beautiful place, and to really celebrate being a mom. That was special for me.' It's a comment that recalls the media rhetoric around her breakout role in 'Friday Night Lights,' with critics opining sometimes with surprise on how Britton made a character in her mid-40s sexy. (One male friend of mine nearly swooned when he heard I was interviewing the Tami Taylor.) I ask Britton how she thinks the industry has changed vis-a-vis middle-aged women actors: Have we evolved? Backslid? 'There was a period where it felt like there was a real interest in women who are over 40. I feel that window is closing a little bit now. I think there's not as much commitment to telling those stories. But my commitment is the same. So it's just about staying true to that, navigating the system as it is.' Britton was born in Boston and raised in Maryland and Virginia; she majored in Asian studies at Dartmouth College, and spent her freshman summer studying in Beijing, China, alongside another American go-getter: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. 'She's who you want in the foxhole with you!' Britton says with a laugh. 'In my case, it was on the mean streets of Beijing in 1986.' The college friends obviously went in different career directions, though they've kept in touch; Britton has maintained political involvement throughout her life, and has been a UN Goodwill Ambassador for the past 11 years. When she looks back at the era in which she adopted her son, it seems like a different world. 'International adoption is basically closed at this point,' she says. 'We are in this kind of contraction in the world. When I grew up, I had this very global outlook. I was raised with the idea that we could extend a hand to our neighbors around the world. I wanted to know about other cultures. I wanted to know how I could help.' Like mother, like son: Britton shares that Yoby was excited to be included in the community-building world of 'The Motherhood,' even if he was only glimpsed in photos. He's dipping a toe into acting this year, too: 'He's playing a part in the eighth grade play,' Britton shares. 'He's good! Like, he's really natural and funny.' Still, she says, she has zero interest in pushing her son toward becoming an actor: 'Only if he really feels the pull.' Work-life balance, as any single mom knows, is ever-challenging: Britton is commuting between shooting in New York and being at home in LA with Yoby, as well as her partner of five years, producer David Windsor, who has two kids of his own. It's nonstop, she tells me, but also a constant source of joy. This might be Britton's most mom-centric year ever: 'Overcompensating,' out on Amazon Prime in mid-May is a heartfelt comedy about a high school jock heading to college with a secret he's been keeping from his parents (Britton and Kyle MacLachlan): He's gay. Britton's character, a daffy empty nester finding new life in self-defense classes and a job at at the mall, pops in occasionally to offer that trademark Britton warmth. 'It's a really important story, and it's told in the most brilliant, funny way,' Britton says. 'Everybody's going to want to watch it, and then they're also going to realize they've learned something.' Britton envisions a similar stealth effect from 'The Motherhood.' 'We need to get rid of the divide, and actually look at our neighbors and say, 'You know what, I'm having a hard time, and I see you're having a hard time too. How can we help each other?' That's really what this show is all about. My hope is that, because there's just such fundamental humanity there, it will really have universal appeal. That's how you change how people see the world.' Britton was photographed in NYC's luxurious Fifth Avenue Hotel, which comprises a landmark Gilded Age mansion and a newer glass tower. The hotel's 'bohemian romantic' aesthetic flows through its double-height lobby, adorned with arched windows, cabinets of curiosities and an impressive collection of art. Its 153 guest rooms and suites are swathed in a whimsical palette of garden green, marigold and pink peony, along with exuberant fabrics and Murano chandeliers. Epicurean delights are overseen by James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Carmellini. Rooms from $895 per night at 1 W. 28th St. Editor: Serena French; Stylist: Anahita Moussavian; Photo Editor: Jessica Hober; Talent Booker: Patty Adams Martinez; Hair: Creighton Bowman at Tomlinson Management Group; Makeup: Gita Bass at The Wall Group using May Lindstrom Skincare; Manicure: Julie Kandalec using OPI; Fashion Assistants: Jena Beck, Meghan Powers; Producer: Savannah Shipman; Lighting Director: Tim Young; Lighting Assistant: Faisal Mohammed, Digital Tech: Dustin Betterly
