It seems that country stars are ruling the small screen these days. Lainey Wilson is a fan favorite on the most popular show on cable, Yellowstone, while Tim McGraw and Faith Hill stunned viewers with their turns as James and Margaret Dutton on Yellowstone prequel 1883 — making it clear that our favorite multi-talented chart-toppers aren't afraid to take risks. Country queen Reba McEntire, who ruled the screen for six seasons on Reba, even took a dramatic turn on season 3 of the thriller Big Sky. And while her performance may not be discussed as often as anything in the Sheridan-verse, singer-songwriter Jennifer Nettles has been giving one of the best performances on television on the HBO comedy The Righteous Gemstones, now in its third season.
If you've never seen The Righteous Gemstones, think of it as the Yellowstone (or Succession, if you prefer) of southern-fried televangelist families. The series centers around Eli Gemstone (John Goodman) and his three children — Jesse (Danny McBride), Kelvin (Adam DeVine) and Judy (Edi Patterson) — who are each vying to lead the church in the wake of their father's retirement. Nettles plays Eli's late wife, singer and televangelist Amie-Leigh Gemstone, who frequently pops up in the show's flashback scenes. She even gets the chance to showcase her singing chops, as evidenced with season one viral smash "Misbehavin'," a duet with the equally delightful Walton Goggins, who portrays Amie-Leigh's brother, Uncle Baby Billy Freeman.
Nettles recently shared some behind the scenes photos from season three. The "Stay" singer can be seen rocking an extremely '80s jumpsuit and red cowgirl boots as she poses with co-star Kristen Johnston.
"Family can be so complicated," Nettles wrote. "To find out why Aimee Leigh is bloody and watch her sister-in-law, May May (@thekristenjohnston) chase her through the grandstand, watch @therighteousgemstones @hbo @streamonmax new season! (Wish I had gotten to keep that watermelon jumpsuit though!;-)"
Nettles looks nearly unrecognizable for the role, donning a brunette wig, huge glasses and the aforementioned '80s attire. Fans of Nettles and the series, including country stars Maren Morris and Margo Price, shared their praise for the singer and actor in the comments.
"Loved the first two episodes of season 3!!! So damn funny," one commenter wrote. "The flashback scenes/episodes with Aimee-Leigh are great and your jumpsuit is the cutest!!"
Another commenter reflected on being onset with Nettles, writing "That's me in the background. You are the absolute sweetest and my daughter and her friend still talk about you taking the time to talk with them between shooting. She wishes she would have kept her outfit too!"
This is far from Nettles' first acting role. She previously starred in Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors and Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors in which she played Parton's mom, Avie Lee. The Sugarland performer is also the host of the U.S. version of Farmer Wants a Wife, which airs on FOX.
READ MORE: Jennifer Nettles + Justin Miller: How a Sugarland Music Video Led to Their Love Story
