On Monday, Nashville star Charles Esten announced via Facebook Live that the show has officially been renewed for a sixth season. Fans were understandably concerned about the fate of the show, since it was canceled last year by ABC at the conclusion of its fourth season.
Thanks to a major push from fans, CMT picked up Nashville for a fifth season. The season has been an emotional one so far, especially following the death of lead character Rayna Jaymes. While the show is currently on its mid-season break, it is set to return on June 1.
The new half of Nashville‘s fifth season will also usher in some new characters. Hart of Dixie actress Rachel Bilson has already been announced as one of the new cast members as well as Empire actress Kaitlin Doubleday. So far CMT has not released any details on the characters that Bilson and Doubleday are playing.
On Tuesday (April 11), CMT confirmed yet another new addition to the Nashville cast. They announced that actor Jeffrey Nordling will be playing the role of record label owner Brad Maitland in the second half of Nashville‘s fifth season.
With a filmography stretching back to 1988, Nordling has appeared in many notable films and television shows. He is best known for his roles as Tom Burnett in the 2003 film Flight 93 and his role as Jake Manning in the popular television series Once and Again. He has also appeared in a countless number of other television shows, including Rake, Arrow, and Desperate Housewives.
Nordling’s latest project was the hit television miniseries Big Little Lies, in which he plays the character Gordon Klein. He managed to make a country music connection through that show, since it also stars Keith Urban‘s wife Nicole Kidman.
CMT provided a few details on Nordling’s Nashville character, describing him as “a successful, charming, egotistical and narcissistic owner of the most successful record label in town.” We can’t help but wonder if this means trouble for Esten’s character Deacon Claybourne, since preview clips show him struggling to run Jaymes’ record label Highway 65 after her death.
Guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens when Nordling’s character makes his debut! In the meantime, get yourself hyped up for the second half of the fifth season by watching the What Comes Next? clip below.