If Kyle Chandler was the beating heart of “Friday Night Lights,” then Connie Britton was the cardiac conduction system responsible for the beat. Coach Taylor’s relationship with his wife, Tami Taylor, was central to the show’s success, and it’s almost unimaginable to think of any other actor going toe-to-toe with Chandler the way Britton did. And yet, Britton’s participation in the series was not always a guarantee.
While she appeared as the coach’s wife in the 2004 “Friday Night Lights” film — her character there was named Sharon Gaines — the actor was reluctant to sign on for a television adaptation. “She said, ‘Are you f***ing kidding me? You think I’m going to spend 10 years sitting on a hard-wood bleacher getting splinters in my a** and cheering on Kyle Chandler?'” Peter Berg told Grantland.
After Berg assured Britton her character would get “dimension” and “a real voice,” she hesitantly agreed to sign on for the show. Britton’s character was a fan favorite, and her marriage became a pivotal part of the narrative. Tami served as an important voice of reason as a mother, a mentor, and a school professional. The character went from being Dillon High’s guidance counselor to its principal, and later found work as a dean at a Philadelphia college. For Britton, who received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the role, it was a career-defining character. “Who am I, if I’m not Tami Taylor?” she once asked on “Chelsea Lately” (via The New York Times).
