ABCMove over, Rayna James—there's another country superstar in town and she makes her debut in tonight's episode of Nashville. Alicia Witt, who caused plenty of trouble on The Walking Dead this season, joins the cast as Autumn Chase, a major artist in the pop-country music world. When the actress spoke to E! News after her TWD exit, she also spilled some details on her newest role—which is pretty much the opposite of her TWD character.
"I like her a whole lot. She could not possibly be any more different from [TWD character] Paula, which is neat," Witt tells us. "She's a pop-country star. She's not full-on country, but she's been around for 20 years. Sort of in the same wheelhouse as Sheryl Crow, maybe Bonnie Raitt. She's funky. She's not one of those rhinestones and big flashy dresses kind of a gal. She's wearing her ripped jeans and cool t-shirts."
While Paula was an uber villain, Autumn is a fun-loving musician. "She's got a really mischievous, flirty attitude that I'm digging getting to play. She's definitely making some trouble," Witt dishes.
Witt will be working with some of the younger singers on Nashville, but her first song on the show is a duet with Connie Britton. "Her character joins me on the tour and we're at the arena. She comes out on stage and she joins me for this really kickass song that was written by Kacey Musgraves and Miranda Lambert and Natalie Hemby, so they're no slouches," she says. "So, that's pretty cool."
In real life, Witt is an accomplished singer who has released several albums of her own. "It's been very magical to be playing this character who does what I do, but on a much larger scale, obviously," she says. "I've been coming to Nashville now for so many years. My last record was recorded at RCA Studio A, and it was produced by Ben Folds. I've been spending quite a lot of time here the last four years or so anyway, so the fact that I get to work here and pretend I'm a local for these few months, at least, if not into next year—we don't really know yet—it's just so great."
Not to mention the whole singing aspect. "It's really cool to get to go into the studio and record and not be an actor who can sing, but isn't really used to it. I'm so comfortable in the studio, this is where I'm most happy. It's beyond a joy. It's completely thrilling. It's really a dream job."
Nashville airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC.
Reporting by Billy Nilles.