Chris Carmack Relieved to Return to ‘Nashville’ for Season 4

Chris Carmack breathed a sigh of relief, along with the rest of the Nashville cast, when the hit ABC drama was renewed for a fourth season. While the actor admits that he was a bit anxious about the future of the show after the Season 3 finale, he says that he had a strong belief in the show and its audience.

"I’m an actor. I’m always worried about everything," Carmack tells The Boot. "I will say that I felt like there was more confidence that we would be back for the fourth season than there was for the third. I think that has to do with the argument about syndication. There’s the saying, 'You get the third, then you get the fourth.' That was enough for me to feel a little more confident. Anytime we go on hiatus, anytime we’re off the air, I consider myself unemployed, and waiting to find out if I’ve got a job again."

The 34-year-old moved to Nashville when he was cast for the TV show, and although Carmack has enjoyed being a resident of the Tennessee town for numerous reasons, he has found one big perk of living in the Music City: the ability to pursue his own musical endeavors.

"[Acting and music] both can be extraordinarily fun and pleasurable," Carmack says. "The one thing is, with music, I’m performing what I want to perform all the time. I’m hiring musicians that I want to hire and play with. And it’s fast, and it’s alive, and it’s for an audience. It’s generally more exciting than beating around the concrete jungle in Los Angeles, auditioning for roles and getting one out of 50 ... but when you get a good role, nothing beats it. Nothing beats playing Will Lexington on Nashville, so they both have their perks.

"Let’s hope Nashville runs for another 10 years, because I love my job," he continues. "But let’s say it doesn’t. I am going to try to make as much headway as I can to do as much music as I can."

Season 4 of Nashville will premiere on Sept. 23 at 10PM ET on ABC.