Why ‘FNL’ and ‘White Lotus’ star Connie Britton prefers TV over film

Connie Britton has clear eyes and a full heart when it comes to filming television shows.

The 57-year-old recently shared why she prefers starring in television series over films.

“I actually love TV,” Britton exclusively told the Post Wednesday.

“I kind of was brought up on television, on watching TV and I love serialized television because I really feel like you get to tackle — and get to really know a character and tell the long version of that story.”

She added, “So there’s something really wonderful about that. I like to be able to dive in and let the story really live and have a life that is ongoing.”

But that’s not to say that Britton doesn’t enjoy filming a movie here and there.
 
“I mean, there’s something very artful about a film’s beginning, middle and end,” the actress confessed.

“And that’s a very beautiful, traditional way of telling a story too, which I love. But there’s something if you can really do serialized television and have an audience continue to want to know more about that character and be in that world, that’s pretty special.”

Britton has a lengthy resume when it comes to starring in hit television shows, including “Friday Night Lights,” “Nashville,” “American Horror Story,” “9-1-1” and “The White Lotus.”

However, she did dive into the big screen for her new horror film “Here After.”

The movie follows Britton’s character, Claire, who is “overjoyed when her daughter, Robin, is miraculously revived after a fatal accident,” according to the synopsis. 

“However, her relief soon turns to dread as she starts to suspect that something dark has followed Robin back from the brink of death.”

So, why did Britton gravitate towards the script in the first place? As the “Dear Edward” star put it, “What I do like is a psychological thriller, and this one, I was reading it, and I was so moved as the story went on.”

Britton continued, “I love telling stories as a mom. I find a mother’s journey to be very universal and very relatable. And we obviously have played a lot of moms. But, when I was reading this, I just thought it had so many different elements to it than just kind of a straight up thriller.”

And the suspense project allowed the TV vet to explore many facets of her character.

“And then ultimately we have to move and transform into something else. I loved the way that the supernatural was used in the film to try to create redemption around those things that feel like they’re very grounded in real life.”

The actress also noted that she wanted “the challenge of it.”

“I really wanted to explore these themes of guilt and loss and the pain that we suppress and that we keep inside,” admitted Britton.

“I always like to challenge myself in any role that I play,” Britton explained.

“And I wanted the challenge of like, ‘Oh gosh, I kind of have to go to these dark places right now as a mother and explore that.’ Ultimately it just gave me a lot of empathy for moms. We moms suffer all around the world in many, many ways and experience a lot of pain and a lot of loss and carry so much guilt.”

Although she has played some beloved moms on the small screen, including Tami Taylor on “Friday Night Lights,” Britton tapped into another piece of herself this time.

“I’m trying to access a different part of what it is to be a mom in each different role,” she said.

“Which I think is important because I don’t want to play them all the same. In this one, I wanted the challenge of it.”

Since becoming a household name in 1996 on the ABC sitcom “Spin City,” Britton has taken on countless hit roles, but at this stage in her career, she’s more particular about what draws her to say yes.

“I would say for me now, it’s actually been pretty consistent,” she revealed.

“I always want to play a character that I feel like I can explore something that maybe I haven’t explored before. So, for instance, I’ve played a lot of moms, but I don’t want to play a mom if I already feel like I played that mom. There’s nothing new to explore or experience.”

“But if I can unearth something new in a character that I’m playing, and I also believe that we have an opportunity in our storytelling as actors and as filmmakers, I believe that we have an opportunity to reflect something about who we are to an audience.”

“So when I read something, if I feel like, ‘Oh, this might be an opportunity to explore something emotionally or psychologically, that I haven’t done before, that I haven’t seen it quite this way before, and maybe that might impact an audience as well,’ that’s really important to me,” Britton added.

These days, the “SMILF” alum is booked and busy as her other movie, “Winner,” is also currently out.

“‘Winner’ is a completely, completely different type of story than ‘Here After’ is. But that one was a really important story to tell. It’s based on a true story of what happened to Reality Winner. I think her story is really important because it is reflective of a very specific time in our recent history.”

For that reason, Britton knows this film, which follows a young girl from Texas who serves in the US Air Force and works as an NSA contractor, will resonate with the audience. 

“That’s one of the things as filmmakers,” she continued, “we have an opportunity to take a snapshot of these moments in time and these moments in history and show that to an audience. And then the audience can say, ‘I didn’t realize that happened ten years ago’ or however many years ago it was. So I think that’s really important.”