Adam Driver and Connie Britton in “This Is Where I Leave You.” | WARNER BROS.
Forget about Hannah Horvath. “Girls” star Adam Driver is going for a slightly older woman.
In “This is Where I Leave You” (opening Friday), he’s making out with “Nashville” star Connie Britton.
She’s the “older woman,” and she has a bit of an issue with that.
“I didn’t want to play someone ridiculous,” she insists. “I wanted her to come across as complex and well-rounded.”
Britton even cut a line in the film. “There’s a moment where Adam’s mother, played by Jane Fonda, says, ‘She’s closer to my age than your age!’ I was like, ‘Wait a minute guys. Hold on a second. I haven’t reached that point yet in my career.’ ”
Quickly, Britton adds, “Being compared to Jane Fonda on any level isn’t a problem.”
The truth is the “Nashville” star is 47. “I play a therapist in the new movie,” she says. “Most of all, I just wanted to show that it’s not the most ridiculous idea in the world that there would be this age difference in this couple with Adam.”
Britton says that working with the “Girls” star was “phenomenal. I’m a huge fan of his from ‘Girls.’ At one point, we talked about me playing a role on the show opposite him, but it never happened because of scheduling stuff.” When she met him on “This is Where I Leave You” — about siblings and their mates returning home after the death of their father — she found that Driver was a dream partner.
“He’s a lovely, wonderful guy and fun and easy to work with, plus a hugely talented actor,” she says of her time with Driver.
She also logged time in a Rhode Island home, where the film was shot with Tina Fey and Jason Bateman. “We were forced to hang out,” she says. “There were so many people in the room and it was a rich experience. No one was pretentious.”
As for the new season of “Nashville,” she says her character makes some quick and tough decisions. “Rayna is going to make a big choice between Deacon and Luke. I promise.”
The show deserves to be a bigger hit, she says. “It’s about Nashville music, which is so universal. The good news is a lot of people are finding it. It has big potential to be even bigger this year.”
