‘Nashville’ Actors Realized Star Power When Vince Gill Called Their Name

Nashville TV stars Sam Palladio and Chris Carmack have both earned plenty of accolades and fame during their six seasons on the hit show. But the actors, who both relocated to Music City to film the series, say it was when they realized that Vince Gill knew who they were that made them feel like they had finally arrived.

Palladio recalls performing at the Grand Ole Opry, an honor in itself, when he passed Gill in the hallway, and Gill said, “What’s up, Sammy?”

“I was like, ‘Oh, Vince Gill called me Sammy,’” Palladio recalls to Billboard. “I’ve made it! This is great! It’s that sort of family nature that the city captures and that country music is so built on.”

Carmack says he was watching the news one night, when he happened to catch Gill discussing Carmack in an interview.

“He told a story about how he ran into me at an antique guitar festival and I was playing blues guitar and he was like, ‘That guy’s actually a really good guitar player!’ ” Carmack recounts. “And I’m watching it going, ‘Vince Gill just said I was a great guitar player on the news!’”

Nashville aired on ABC for four seasons, before being picked up by CMT for its final two. But while Season 6 of the Emmy-nominated show will be its last, at least one cast member, Charles Esten (who plays Deacon Claybourne), has no plans of leaving Music City.

“With my love of music and making music, Nashville is the place to be,” Esten said. “Events that we get to go to and get to be part of — the songwriting community, the recording industry and all the people — how can you imagine living anywhere else? It’s hard to say where acting will take me. Sometimes you’ve got to go to shoots, but in the end, this will always be home. And I’m real happy to say that. It means a lot to me.”

No word yet on what the rest of the cast will do after Nashville airs its final show. The mid-season finale airs on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 9:00 PM ET.