AnnaLynne McCord
In 2008, she was the eighteenth actress to be cast in The CW series "90210", portraying antiheroine Naomi Clark. Initially, the part of Clark was conceived as a supporting role. However, by the end of the first season, media outlets had begun referring to McCord as the series' lead. For the role of Naomi Clark, she was nominated for a Teen Choice Award and received the "Hollywood Life" Young Hollywood Superstar of Tomorrow award in 2009. In 2010, she won a Breakthrough of the Year Award in the category of "Breakthrough Standout Performance".
Connie Britton
In 2011, Britton starred in the first season in the FX horror drama "American Horror Story". She played Vivien Harmon, who relocates with her family to California after a series of tragic marital and family issues. Unfortunately for The Harmons, the new house they purchase quickly reveals itself to be haunted. For this role she was nominated for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie in 2012. Britton had stated when she wrapped "American Horror Story" she would be taking a couple of months off to be with her new adopted son, but that she would then begin to re-focus on developing her FX drama collaboration with David O. Russell, but the project went into "development hell".
On March 6, 2012, Britton signed on to star in and produce the ABC/CMT musical drama series, "Nashville" created by Academy Award winner Callie Khouri. The series ran on ABC and CMT for six seasons from October 10, 2012 to July 26, 2018. She played Rayna Jaymes, a 40-year-old renowned country singer whose stardom is beginning to fade. Britton's performance received critical praise, and she was nominated for a fourth time for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for the first time for this role. Britton, for her part, said that the most nerve-wracking part of her role, at least in the beginning, was the singing the role requires of her. The show was cancelled in May 2016 by ABC. However, in June 2016, CMT picked up the series for a fifth season. In February 2017, Britton left "Nashville" during the fifth season, but returned for the series finale in July 2018 as a guest star.