Country Music star Lainey Wilson has been showing off some serious acting chops on the hit neo-Western Yellowstone. So much so that it’s left some fans speculating on if the singer-songwriter would ever make the leap to acting full-time. However, fans of her music need not fear.
“I will never not make songwriting my priority because the songwriting is what has given me all the rest of these opportunities,” she told Us Weekly on the 2023 CMT Music Awards red carpet on Sunday. On the season 5 premiere of the immensely popular show, titled “One Hundred Years Is Nothing,” 30-year-old singer made their debut and proceeded to form a connection with Ryan (played by Ian Bohen).
Developing an amicable relationship with Yellowstone‘s creator, Taylor Sheridan, in 2018 led to her role on the show. “He had put a few of my songs in the show and then invited me out to Vegas to play a horse-riding competition, and that’s where I got to meet him,” Wilson recalled. “[We] became buddies and, you know, I knew the friendship would lead to something. I didn’t know it necessarily me ant me being in the show.”
She added, “He called me last February and he said, ‘I want to create a character specifically for you, and I want you to wear your bell bottoms. I want you to sing your own songs and be yourself but go by a musician named Abby.’”
Lainey Wilson credits her team for keeping her grounded
Regarding her success in TV and music, Wilson revealed that those close to her provide honest advice when she needs it most. “I’ve got a lot of people in my life who keep me grounded, whether it’s my folks back at home or my team and crew in Nashville,” she explained. “They check me every now and then. They like, ‘Girl, you know who you are.’”
On Sunday, the singer was a huge winner at the CMT Music Awards, picking up awards for Female Video of The Year and Collaborative Video of The Year. She also performed “Heart Like A Truck” and joined forces with other artists such as Alanis Morissette, Ingrid Andress, Madeline Edwards & Morgan Wade to create an unforgettable rendition of “You Oughta Know.”
“My heart is about to beat right out my chest, I’ll be honest with y’all,” Wilson said during her Female Video of the Year acceptance speech. “This song right here is about finding freedom and strength. It’s about not being afraid of the scratches and the dents and the bumps along the way. And we all got a story to tell, y’all, and I’m so proud of this music video. It was filmed, produced, written, and directed by all women.”
Wilson continued: “I just want to say, first of all, thank you Jesus for this opportunity, and I want to say, thank you CMT for literally believing in me before a lot of folks did. But I also want to say thank you so much to the fans. I feel like I’m watching my dreams come true right before my eyes, truly y’all. This is for y’all. I love y’all so much. Thank you.”