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2 • Terre Haute Tribune-Star • September 11 - 17, 2022 In his biggest acting commitment yet, country music star Trace Adkins is playing in a world he knows well. Premiering Sunday, Sept. 11, before it settles into its regular slot Tuesday, Sept. 20, the Fox drama series "Monarch" casts the singer of such hits as "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing" and "You're Gonna Miss This" opposite Oscar winner Susan Sarandon as the couple heading a hugely popular performing family. Others are eager to succeed them, though, making one of the couple's children (Anna Friel) intent on keeping her clan's entertainment- business status secure. Joshua Sasse, Beth Ditto, Broadway's Faith Prince and Sarandon's daughter Eva Amurri also are in the cast. "They contacted me and wanted me to audition," the friendly, deep-voiced Adkins recalls, "so I did that, and things moved pretty quickly after that. It was something I was certainly interested in, and I liked what I heard, so I signed on." Anyone familiar with Adkins' persona will recognize it in his "Monarch" role of country titan Albie Roman, just as he does: "I said to them, 'So you want me to be me, right? That's pretty much what I'm seeing here. I think I can do that.' " With Shania Twain, Little Big Town, Martina McBride and Tanya Tucker slated to appear during "Monarch's" first season, Adkins likes working with high- powered co-stars. He notes, "Somebody said, 'It must make you nervous to do scenes with Susan Sarandon.' Of course, it did in the beginning, then I realized that it's so easy to do a scene with an actor of that caliber. You know you're going to get everything you need, and you just try to hang on." Though "Monarch" (delayed from last season) is fictional, first "Celebrity Apprentice" winner Adkins has been in country music long enough – 2021 marked the 25th anniversary of his first album – to have seen things that inspired the show. "Certainly, some of the bureaucracy is stuff I've had to wrestle with in my career," he allows, "but I've tried to keep my life as drama-free as possible, so in that respect, Albie's got a lot more on his plate than I ever have." Having had roles in such movies as "The Lincoln Lawyer" and "I Can Only Imagine," Adkins (whose latest album, "The Way I Wanna Go," features his collaborations with everyone from Blake Shelton to Stevie Wonder) is familiar with acting, but "Monarch" is his first job in that profession sizable enough for him to rearrange his music schedule. "I'm just really happy that this came along," he maintains. "I feel that you need to challenge yourself and continue to grow, and do things that make you a little nervous." Trace Adkins, Anna Friel (center) and Susan Sarandon star in "Monarch," premiering Sunday on Fox. BY JAY BOBBIN 'Monarch' keeps Trace Adkins more than a little bit country