Connie Britton is one of the finest actors working on screen today, from her Emmy-nominated work in Friday Night Lights, to Nashville and Zero Day. So for Sofia Carson, it was a "privilege" to be able to star alongside the 58-year-old star in new Netflix film The Life List, whom she describes as "warmth and sunlight".
Connie stars as Elizabeth Rose, the mother of Alex (Sofia), who after her passing encourages her daughter to revisit childhood aspirations and achieve forgotten goals through a series of DVDs.
© Nicole Rivelli/NetflixThe pair had only one scene in-person and so Sofia took every opportunity to soak up Connie's wisdom, even visiting the set on a day she was not scheduled to work.
"There was a day where she was working and I wanted to observe and she was such a thoughtful actor," Sofia told HELLO!, sharing that Connie "would really question Adam [Brooks, the director]'s choices, propose different wordings or make things more specific that would add the colour to Elizabeth."
© Getty Images for NetflixIt was a way of working that Sofia "really appreciated," and one which also allowed her to see the way Connie approached her time on set, revealing that the former 9-1-1actress "always walked into the room with such elegance and grace".
Connie was the right choice for Elizabeth because she exudes "warmth and sunlight," Sofia said, describing Elizabeth as "a woman who sees her daughter for all the colors of the rainbow that she is, but who has yet to recognize that in herself".
"Being with Connie felt like coming home," she added.
"When we were laying in bed together [for our one scene], we were open and our hearts were ready to melt into each other and do these characters justice. It was a joy."
© Nicole Rivelli/Netflix ©2025Sofia is an actress who also clearly takes her craft seriously, speaking with thoughtfulness and poise.
At 31, she has completed things on her wish list many of us can only dream of: performing at the Oscars, touring with Andrea Boccelli, and a number one album.
The Life List, based on Lori Nelson Spielman's novel of the same name, allowed Sofia the opportunity to tap into the "fearless dreamer" she was at 13, a moment she said was much-needed in her life at that point.
© Nicole Rivelli/Netflix ©2025"It was the most beautiful journey. Even just stepping into the role was a profound leap of faith in myself because I've had the privilege of being a leading lady before but the challenge of Alex was that she was playing all the emotions in the human spectrum all at once," Sofia told HELLO!
"It was such a fine line of playing her so I had to really trust myself, and in doing so and in living in Alex's skin, it reconnected me to that to the fearless dreamer who was 13 and who dreamt that she could do anything."
