Was it your decision to leave Nashville?
It was my decision. It was something that, for various reasons, had been percolating for me. What was really important to me was that it felt like the right time. This summer, when the show went to CMT, it felt solid and stable. When Marshall came in, we had a conversation and he came up with the way this story would lay out. We both agreed — and I said to him that what was most important to me was that we really do justice and honor the character and all of these characters and the world that we've been living in for these last five years.
Hypothetically, if Nashville had been renewed at ABC, would you have felt that same desire to move on?
Yes. It really wasn't about being on ABC or CMT at all. None of the reasoning behind it had anything to do with network.
Looking back, do you feel a sense of closure with Rayna?
I do. That was something that was really important to me. It's hard to say goodbye. It's funny, our costume designer Susie DeSanto, who has designed all the incredible costumes over these last five years, she was lamenting in the final episode that, "This isn't Rayna! Rayna needs to be wearing sparkles!" I did think that it would have been nice to get one more moment of that in there in saying goodbye to her. But I do feel that we were able to do justice to her and to do justice most importantly to the family. The final goodbye with Chip, Lennon and Maisy was such a beautiful moment. They are as much a part of Rayna as Rayna is.
It was my decision. It was something that, for various reasons, had been percolating for me. What was really important to me was that it felt like the right time. This summer, when the show went to CMT, it felt solid and stable. When Marshall came in, we had a conversation and he came up with the way this story would lay out. We both agreed — and I said to him that what was most important to me was that we really do justice and honor the character and all of these characters and the world that we've been living in for these last five years.
Hypothetically, if Nashville had been renewed at ABC, would you have felt that same desire to move on?
Yes. It really wasn't about being on ABC or CMT at all. None of the reasoning behind it had anything to do with network.
Looking back, do you feel a sense of closure with Rayna?
I do. That was something that was really important to me. It's hard to say goodbye. It's funny, our costume designer Susie DeSanto, who has designed all the incredible costumes over these last five years, she was lamenting in the final episode that, "This isn't Rayna! Rayna needs to be wearing sparkles!" I did think that it would have been nice to get one more moment of that in there in saying goodbye to her. But I do feel that we were able to do justice to her and to do justice most importantly to the family. The final goodbye with Chip, Lennon and Maisy was such a beautiful moment. They are as much a part of Rayna as Rayna is.
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“Playing Rayna has been a privilege and a deeply enriching experience for me,” Britton said in a statement. “I am going to miss her grace, tenacity and feistiness. And I’m forever grateful and indebted to our unbelievably talented cast and crew, and to the Nashville community amongst whom I have had the honor to work. And then there are the fans. Wow. I’m so humbled by our incredible fans for their unwavering passion and commitment. They are the reason the show exists, and the reason the show will continue. I’ll be watching and cheering alongside all of you. Thanks for the honor of these 5 years.”
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We’ve heard there will be some Rayna flashbacks in the weeks ahead. But aside from that, what will you do next? Are you tempted to reunite with Ryan Murphy for one of his upcoming seasons of American Horror Story or American Crime Story?
I’m very open at this point. I’ll work with Ryan anytime, that’s always going to be true. Beyond that, I’m really open and there are so many things I’d be interested in doing. We’ll see what comes down the line.
And finally, I suspect fans are going to be really upset. Is there anything else you’d want to say to them?
The spirit of Rayna lives on forever and I’m always going to have a strong interest and love for the show. We never know what the future holds in terms of how a character can make an influence, so I would say, “Love this show, love these characters, and keep watching” — because that spirit is always going to be a part of the show, and these amazing Nashville characters are going to live on.
I’m very open at this point. I’ll work with Ryan anytime, that’s always going to be true. Beyond that, I’m really open and there are so many things I’d be interested in doing. We’ll see what comes down the line.
And finally, I suspect fans are going to be really upset. Is there anything else you’d want to say to them?
The spirit of Rayna lives on forever and I’m always going to have a strong interest and love for the show. We never know what the future holds in terms of how a character can make an influence, so I would say, “Love this show, love these characters, and keep watching” — because that spirit is always going to be a part of the show, and these amazing Nashville characters are going to live on.
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