See the cast of ‘Nashville,’ then and now

Connie Britton as Rayna Jaymes

Connie Britton led Nashville for its first five seasons as Rayna Jaymes, the queen of country music whose fame is on the decline. Britton left Nashville on own terms at the end of season 5, but returned briefly for the show’s series finale. She received both an Emmy and a Golden Globe nomination for the performance.

Since then, the Friday Night Lights favorite has remained a familiar face on television. Her most notable post-Nashville credits include 9-1-1 (2018), Dirty John (2018), The White Lotus (2021), and Zero Day (2025). Currently, she appears on the Amazon Prime comedy Overcompensating (2025–present).

You might also recognize her from films such as Bombshell (2019), Promising Young Woman (2021), and The Life List (2025).

Panettiere recently gushed about Britton in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying the American Horror Story alum played Rayna “so well, and she’s so likable.” Panettiere added, “She’s fantastic. She’s so smart and so savvy.”

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated that Panettiere will appear in Scream 7. Her involvement has not been confirmed.

Hayden Panettiere as Juliette Barnes

Hayden Panettiere starred in all six seasons of Nashville as bubblegum country-pop singer Juliette Barnes, a role that earned her two Golden Globe nominations. 

After the series wrapped in 2018, Panettiere took a four-year break from acting. She returned to the screen in Scream VI (2023), reprising her Scream 4 hero Kirby Reed, and has since appeared in the films Amber Alert (2024) and A Breed Apart (2025).

Reflecting on Nashville, Panettiere recently told EW that Nashville was conceived as a solo vehicle for Britton’s Rayna. However, the dynamic shifted when Juliette was well received by audiences, leading the creators to rework the series to focus on the rivalry between Rayna and Juliette.

“It was difficult to play that sometimes, that competitiveness, where we were in opposition and against each other,” Panettiere explained. “And it’s not what we thought it was going to be, so it was very difficult to step in.”

Charles Esten as Deacon Claybourne

Charles Esten’s role as Nashville fan favorite Deacon Claybourne kicked off his real-life music career. After dropping several singles that climbed Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart, Esten released his debut album, Love Ain’t Pretty, on Jan. 26, 2024. Now, he tours globally, with frequent performances at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry.

He’s set to join Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson, and Sam Palladio on the Nashville Encore Tour in 2026, bringing the music of the series back to the stage.

Esten has focused more on music than acting in recent years, but you may have seen him on the Netflix teen drama Outer Banks (2020–2023) or in the thriller Tell Me Your Secrets (2021). Next up, he’ll appear in the Western film Flint alongside Josh Holloway.

Reflecting on his time on the series, Esten told GRAMMY.com in 2024 that “the feeling [of landing Nashville] was one of — it’ll make me emotional — completion. I felt like the show was an answer to so many unsolved things in my life.”

Clare Bowen as Scarlett O’Connor

Clare Bowen rose to fame as singer and poet Scarlett O’Connor on Nashville, and has since appeared in the Hallmark TV movies Sand Dollar Cove (2021) and #Xmas (2022), as well as the Australian horror series Hungry Ghosts (2020).

Bowen has focused primarily on music in recent years, releasing her self-titled debut album in 2018. In 2024, she dropped a joint album with her husband, Brandon Robert Young. She’s set to reunite with Esten, Jackson, and Palladio for the Nashville Encore Tour in 2026.

Sam Palladio as Gunnar Scott

Sam Palladio was a core part of Nashville, winning fans over with his performance as lovelorn country singer Gunnar Scott for all six seasons.

Since the series wrapped, Palladio has gained wider recognition for his turn as Prince Edward opposite Vanessa Hudgens in Netflix’s The Princess Switch trilogy (2018–2021). He also landed gigs on ABC’s short-lived legal series Rebel (2021) and the British psychological thriller The Couple Next Door (2025).

Up next, Palladio will hit the road with the Nashville Encore Tour in 2026 alongside Esten, Bowen, and Jackson.

Palladio recently credited Nashville as a career-defining experience that perfectly blended his passions for acting and music. “Nashville was the perfect hybrid,” he told Songwriting Magazine in 2024. “I could not get a better acting/music job.”

Jonathan Jackson as Avery Barkley

Former child actor Jonathan Jackson played Avery Barkley, the “bad boy” musician who had a rocky romance with Juliette. By the series finale, the two had reconciled and were raising their two kids together.

Jackson went on to star as the title figure in Saint Joseph the Hesychast (2020) and portray Christian musician Eddie DeGarmo in Unsung Hero (2024). He also earned a Daytime Emmy Award nomination in 2025 for reprising his role of Lucky Spencer, a character he originated in 1993, on General Hospital (2024-2025).

Jackson has also stayed busy with his music career, recently telling Parade that a solo album was on the way. He’s also gearing up to publish Anthology of Longing, a poetry collection he’s been working on for years. Plus, he’ll hit the road with Bowen, Esten, and Palladio in 2026 for the Nashville Encore Tour.

Chris Carmack as Will Lexington

Chris Carmack costarred on Nashville as Will Lexington, a closeted country star coming to terms with his sexuality.

Carmack was a familiar face on TV before Nashville, thanks to his role as Luke Ward on The O.C. (2003–2004), and he’s kept the momentum going with his performance as Atticus “Link” Lincoln on Grey’s Anatomy, a role he’s held since 2018.

He also appeared in the Hallmark movie Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas (2023), and starred opposite fellow early-2000s icon Sophia Bush in The Stranger In My Home (2025).

Lennon Stella as Maddie Conrad

Lennon Stella, the eldest daughter of musicians Brad and MaryLynne Stella, rose to fame as Maddie Conrad, Rayna’s eldest daughter. Nashville marked her acting debut and, along with her band Lennon & Maisy, it helped launch her into the spotlight.

After the show, Lennon pursued a solo music career, releasing an EP in 2018 that gave way to a 2020 LP, Three. Two. One., which charted on the Billboard 200.

She’s collaborated with popular artists like The Chainsmokers, Meghan Trainor, and Brandi Carlile, and contributed to soundtracks for series like Game of Thrones and How I Met Your Father.

Maisy Stella as Daphne Conrad

Lennon’s sister, Maisy, charmed audiences as Daphne Conrad, the younger daughter of Rayna Jaymes. After Nashville, the duo continued performing as Lennon & Maisy before branching off into solo careers.

She’s since returned to acting, making her film debut in My Old Ass (2024), for which she won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Breakthrough Performance. She’ll next appear in Maude Apatow’s directorial debut, Poetic License, as well as David Robert Mitchell’s long-anticipated Flowervale Street.

In a 2024 interview with Glamour, Maisy reflected fondly on the Nashville‘s impact and the cast. “Everyone from that cast was so great to me and Lennon,” she shared. “They were such a big part of our childhood, It’s a bond that can’t really go anywhere.”

Will Chase as Luke Wheeler

Will Chase was introduced to Nashville in season 2 as Luke Wheeler, a superstar country singer at the peak of his fame. He exited the series after a guest spot in season 5 and has stayed busy on screen with roles on shows like Sharp Objects (2018), Impulse (2018–2019), Dopesick (2021), and The Crowded Room (2023). 

Beyond television, Chase has returned to his stage roots with roles in the Broadway revivals of Kiss Me, Kate (2019) and Once Upon a Mattress (2024). He’s also stepped behind the camera, helming several short films and documentaries,

Eric Close as Teddy Conrad

Eric Close portrayed Teddy Conrad, Rayna’s ex-husband and the former mayor of Nashville, throughout the entirety of Nashville‘s six-season run.

After Nashville, he found a home at Hallmark, starring in and directing A Christmas Love Story (2019) and appearing in Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday (2019).

Most recently, Close starred in the biographical drama Average Joe (2024) as high school football coach Joe Kennedy, whose habit of praying on the field after games caused a stir in the town of Bremerton, Wash., in the late 2000s.

Aubrey Peeples as Layla Grant

Aubrey Peeples made their Nashville debut in season 2 as Layla Grant, a fiery reality show runner-up at odds with those around her, including Juliette.

After exiting in season 4, Peeples starred in the psychological thriller Heartthrob (2017) and Lifetime’sDeath of a Cheerleader (2019). In 2025, they served as a judge on the drag competition series King of Drag.