INTERVIEW WITH CONNIE BRITTON:
Did you know much about football before your role in this movie, or did you learn as it was being filmed?
You know, I’ve never been a huge fan. I’ve always enjoyed watching football but I’ve never been an avid fan. My family always loved the Redskins. It was actually pretty funny because I remember we were sitting up in the stands and we would be shooting the crowds scenes. They would yell, “Okay, now the Tight End goes into the end zone and then blah, blah, blah…” I was like, “What? Am I happy that that happened?”
How was working opposite Billy Bob Thornton?
Working opposite Billy Bob was really fun. The thing that’s great about Billy Bob – there are many things that are great about him but one of them is that he makes you a better actor when you are working with him. He really does. I have actually since then, when I’ve been working on other things, thought to myself, “Okay, how would you be feeling if you were working with Billy Bob right now?”
Is there anything in particular about him that you can point to?
I actually think it’s just the fact that he is so authentic and so natural, and that’s what I have always valued most in acting. There’s actually a real calm about it that I love – I think that’s it.
What attracted you to this character?
I just loved her because she’s from the South and I’m from the South. She’s actually really strong in her support. She’s very, very strong. I liked that she was a real person and that we were telling a true story about a woman who really exists, and that she knows her role with her husband. They go through a lot together and she never falls down under the pressure.
Did you meet the real Mrs. Gaines?
No, I didn’t get a chance to talk to her but I was able to read the book and do some research that way. There were other people on the set who knew her.
How did the book translate into the movie, as far as your character goes? Are they pretty much the same?
I think it’s really [similar]. Everything that happened in the movie, we know happened from the book. There were other things, obviously, that happened from the book that we don’t get to see in the movie. But everything that we see in the movie is from the book.
What was it like filming in Texas?
Oh, filming in Texas was a blast. We got to film in very different areas in Texas. We were in Austin, which is very cosmopolitan. Then we went to Odessa, which is where the movie takes place, and that is very just straight-on Texas. You know, small-town, the real deal, so that was amazing. Then we finished up in Houston and that was exciting because we were at the Houston Astrodome, so that was exciting.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on a movie right now called “Special Ed,” which is an independent movie, and I’m playing an oncologist – a cancer doctor – which is fun.
Is it an indie drama or comedy?
It’s an indie and it’s sort of, surprisingly, it’s a little bit comedic even though it’s about cancer and cancer doctors, which is what appealed to me about it.
What's the movie about?
Well, what it has to do with is a guy, the lead, is an oncologist and he begins to treat a guy who we find out in the movie tormented him as a high school student. So we get to watch their journey where they kind of come to terms with that and change each other’s lives. I play the girlfriend of the doctor. It’s about people helping each other move on.
Do you prefer indie films or large studio movies?
I love both. Really, truly, I had a great experience on this and I have great experiences in indies. I’ve been lucky. I’ve had great experiences everywhere – so far (laughing).
