Kix Brooks ‘Wades’ Into the Deep End for New Film Role

After figuratively hanging up his cowboy hat as one-half of the duo Brooks & Dunn, Kix Brooks is embarking on an additional career as an actor. He left for Phoenix, Ariz., on Monday to begin shooting his role as "Wade Locklin," a "bad guy," in the film, 'Thrift Store Cowboy.'

We caught up with the singer-songwriter-national radio host-now actor on the red carpet for last week's 'Country Strong' premiere, and he admitted to being a little anxious about starring in his first big screen role. "It's actually a real part, so I'm a little nervous about it," Kix tells The Boot. "I've been trying to learn lines the last couple of weeks, and they claim they'll make it easy on me."

"It's an independent film, kind of a small film," the Louisiana native adds. "William Shockley's producing it and acting in it. He was in 'Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,' if you remember him. And one of my favorites -- Barry Corbin -- is in it too, a great old Western actor. I'm a little excited to be hooking up with him. We've done a little cutting horse action together, but I never dreamed I'd be acting with him, so that's cool. And Tanya Clarke is the female lead, and she was in 'A Beautiful Mind' with Russell Crowe. She's really cool. So, everybody's an actor, except for me. It should be interesting. [laughs]"

When he's not his happy-go-lucky self (which is pretty rare), Kix has a steely gaze that would make him perfect for a role as a cowboy on the wrong side of the law. It may surprise you Kix has a background as a theater major in college, so his fans may have been wondering why they haven't seen him in a movie before now. "I have turned down quite a few parts over the years just because I didn't really have time while I was touring, so it's one of the things I'm looking forward to getting into a little bit more now," he recently told The Boot.

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