Trace Adkins and Susan Sarandon play husband and wife on the new country music drama Monarch (Sept. 11 on FOX), so, their characters do husband and wife things like fight and make up.

Talking to Taste of Country, Adkins quietly admits that there's a little bit of romance between his Albie Roman and Sarandon's Dottie Cantrell Roman on the show. The kissing scenes weren't necessarily his favorite, however.

"It was terribly awkward," Adkins says. "When a lot of people are standing around and — of course, yeah. And this is Susan Sarandon. That thought never left my mind, so I was a little ... yeah, you gotta be a little nervous about it."

Sarandon's stature as an Oscar-winning actor was intimidating, and not just to Adkins. Her on-screen resume is also exponentially thicker than his, and he knew it as he walked to the set on the very first day of filming.

"I was really nervous, of course," the longtime country hitmaker reveals in an interview that first debuted on Facebook Live on Wednesday (Sept. 7).

"Going into a scene, my very first scene, with an actor of that stature ... it was terrifying. But she was very gracious and very giving and just — she calmed me down, and she knew exactly what to do and how to handle it."

Indie-rocker-turned-actor Beth Ditto (Gigi Roman) felt a similar fear and respect, but both singers summarize Sarandon as a "total professional."

"Every day," Adkins begins, "I realized that she’s such a pro, that you don’t really have to put a lot of pressure on yourself. She’s gonna carry the scenes and she’s gonna do the heavy lifting. You just swim in her wake and try to hang on. It’ll be alright, which made it a joy to work with her."

Longtime fans of Adkins know this isn't the first time he's been involved in some awkward kissing. Friend and fellow country singer Blake Shelton reminded everyone of their, uh, tender moments on Twitter this week, and Adkins' real-life wife Victoria Pratt joked that she feels the pain.

Monarch debuts on FOX after the late NFL game on Sunday (Sept. 11). The show follows the Roman family, country music icons who have a very dark secret they're trying to protect. Previews allude to violence and dark romance, as well as a power play between their daughters Gigi and Nicky (Anna Friel).

Trace Adkins' Top 20 Songs: Love Songs, Military Tributes + Songs to Shake Your Country Butt To

Trace Adkins is one of the most versatile country music singers of the last generation, and this list of his Top 20 Songs proves it. Emotional ballads, stunning throwbacks, painful heartbreakers and meaningful songs of faith are scattered across his nearly 30-year catalog. Then, there are a whole lot of songs that make you want to shake your behind.

Scroll through to find 20 great Trace Adkins songs, ranked. You can almost break his career into three acts: The tender beginning, his more rowdy commercial peak and his pensive later years. While he has just three No. 1 hits, Adkins' wide range of subject matter and ability to use his voice in so many fascinating ways makes him an essential 21st century artist.

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