Country music star and actor Trace Adkins is always a father first, especially when it comes to teaching his children the ins and outs of Hollywood.
The 26-year-old recently became a finalist on the ABC reality television show “Claim to Fame” following a back-and-forth casting process that ultimately made her doubt whether it was for the show.
Adkins commended her for remaining neutral throughout the casting experience and how she was able to see firsthand the unpredictability of show business.
“I’m glad you’ve learned something. That’s the way you have to always deal with everything Hollywood,” Adkins told Mackenzie during the interview.
“Because, yeah, I’ve had so many things, and most of which I’ve forgotten about, but there have been so many, so many things in my career that were connected to Hollywood. And they never happened.”
The “You’re Gonna Miss This” singer made his country debut back in 1996 with his album “Dreamin' Out Loud” and has since released 13 more studio albums and several Greatest Hits compilations.
While he’s made a name for himself in the music scene, Adkins also worked in television and film over the years and has seen a fair share of false promises.
“They tell you, ‘Oh, yeah, we’re going to do this. We’re going to do that, and this is moving along,’ and then all of a sudden, one day you realize, well, I haven’t heard from those people in six months. And it just went away.”
Mackenzie related to what her father experienced, saying she too questioned the authenticity of the casting process.
“I looked it up, and I watched both the seasons and I made sure it was a real show,” she said.
“But I did, like, so many interviews, and I met so many different casting directors and ... producers were calling me, telling me, ‘You’re in the top 25, you’re in the top 15, you’ve made the top couple; we’re not sure yet.’ So, I was like, I don’t want to get that excited, and then it not happen.”
Mackenzie came in third place in the finale alongside challengers Adam Christoferson, nephew to Michael Bolton, and Hud Mellencamp, John Mellencamp’s son, partly due to being unfazed by growing up with a music legend.
“He’s always just been dad ... he was always on the road when we were little. I mean, I’ve been going on the road with him since I was born, essentially. We were out every summer. Once I was in school, every single summer we were out on the road with dad. I’ve definitely just been used to it.”
“As the fans of @ClaimToFameABC now know… @MackenzieLynnAdkins is my daughter. I’m proud that you’re my daughter, Mackenzie. Congratulations on getting as far as you did. Love you,” he captioned alongside a photo of the two.
Meanwhile, Christoferson was named winner of “Claim to Fame” season 3 and took home the $100,000 dollar prize.
