Just as we were trying to get over the demise of Rayna James, played by Connie Britton, CMT’s drama Nashville announces that actresses Rachel Bilson and Kaitlin Doubleday will be added to the weekly soap opera.
“We welcome Rachel and Kaitlin into our incredibly talented ensemble,” said Marshall Herskovitz, executive producer and showrunner. “We fondly anticipate the second half of the season filled with surprising twists and turns that make ‘Nashville’ so beloved by the fans.”
Rachel may be best known for her role as Dr. Zoe Hart in The CW series Hart of Dixie or perhaps more notably as series regular, Summer Roberts, on The O.C. Kaitlin comes from the FOX hit drama Empire, where she portrayed Rhonda Lyon.
If that wasn’t all, CMT released the first look trailer of new episodes for those fans who can’t wait until the season returns.
Rachel and Kaitlin both took to social media to announce the news to their followers. Rachel posted a photo of the Highway 65 sign—Rayna James’ fictional record label on the show— with the caption that said “Music City here I come. #nashvillecmt.” Kaitlin chose a photo of the Bluebird Cafe, which features prominently in the show, with the caption reading, “This will definitely be a change of pace. #NashvilleCMT.”
The question remains, will Rachel and Kaitlin be enough to fill the very big hole left by Connie Britton at the end of the mid-season finale? Stay tuned.
