Will Lexington embodies the charming, image-conscious energy of an ESFP 3w2. Played by Chris Carmack in Nashville, Will’s personality merges performative confidence with deep emotional vulnerability, making his character arc one of the show’s most compelling.
ESFP 3w2 Characters
Why is Will Lexington from Nashville an ESFP? Continue reading! The headers for each section are clickable, so you can easily access more information about the dominant function and the Enneagram type, or discover more characters who share the type.
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Extraverted Sensing
Will is an incredibly physical performer, and likes to show off for the ladies even after he comes out as gay; he cares a great deal about his body, and tries to bulk up with steroid use in the final season, which gives him a faux-heart attack. Even then, he wants to get back out there and tour again, despite his doctors telling him he needs time to recover.
Being in front of a crowd excites him, amps him up, and makes him confident and charismatic, like Juliette. He enjoys shooting commercials and music videos, being interviewed, and doing red carpet events. To cover up the truth, Will proposes to Layla and gets married quickly, but then has casual hook-ups on the side, even when in the middle of shooting a television reality show.
Prior to coming out of the closet, Will has many sexual encounters with women just to prove his masculinity; it later comes out that he has them with men as well, often picking them up in “certain parts of town” (he is beaten up and left for dead in one such situation). He’s so used to having meaningless sex that his first actual relationship feels awkward to him, since he has never been emotionally invested in anyone before now. Whenever he’s upset, he becomes reckless—having casual sex, drinking, and drowning his sorrows in physical activity.
Introverted Feeling
He pretends to be an ESTP for a while, not having any emotional investment in anything, but his true Fi self comes out when he’s exposed as being gay. Rather than get out in front of the cameras and turn on the charm to shift the tide of public opinion, Will withdraws into himself, refuses to talk about it, won’t defend himself, and won’t even talk about it. He dwells in the pain of his father’s rejection and his mother’s death, wallowing in his deep shame.
He doesn’t feel like he can or should speak for other gay people and doesn’t stand up for himself until a fan tracks him down and tells him he identifies with Will and that he admires him for his bravery. Will only confides in his close friends (Gunnar and Avery) after a long period of intense introspection. After his career tanks, he isolates himself, stops going out in public, spirals, and refuses to get counseling. He isn’t sure what to do, who he is, or what to say to anyone, and feels upset Luke has to stand up for him in public because he doesn’t want to. It takes time, but Will eventually finds the self-confidence to stand up for himself, assert that he is gay, and not hide from it.
Extraverted Thinking
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Part of concealing the truth about himself is that he knows, rationally, that “gay doesn’t sell” in country music, so he needs to keep his mouth shut about it. Sure enough, his records tank, people stop playing his music on the radio, and nobody wants to book him. But prior to this, Luke is very ambitious in getting his music out there, in negotiating the best deals, in managing his career and his image, and in taking good opportunities. He rejects songs that make him seem too vulnerable and cares most about the results of his efforts (charts, sales, marketability, what the audience thinks).
He is so used to putting aside his personal feelings that when he falls in love for the first time, he doesn’t know what to do with his feelings. Will sometimes misreads situations and has to just plain ask people if they are gay or straight, hitting on him or just being nice. If he’s upset, he snaps at people—calling Gunnar an emo boy wallowing in his misery, not wanting to share the stage with a girl who might steal away the attention of the audience, and telling people to back off and leave him alone.
Introverted Intuition
Like most of the other ESFPs in this show, Will’s long-term thinking is poor. He doesn’t think about how picking up randos in a park at night could get him killed, photographed, or exposed. He doesn’t think about how signing up with the wrong label, or trusting the wrong person, could implode on him.
Will leaps to worst-case scenarios a lot when thinking about the future; if his fans learn the truth, his life is over, they will hate him, I can never write music again, etc. He is duped by Jeff, ignores red flags with the record label, lets Luke stand up for him (and that almost tanks Luke’s career in the process), and is overly trusting. His steroid use also shows short-term thinking; what happens in the long term (problems “down there” and potential heart trouble) doesn’t matter, as long as he looks good right now.
The Enneagram 3
Will is all about managing his image, constantly, every moment of every day, and part of that includes lying to his fans and to himself about who he is; even after he comes out, he doesn’t want to sing certain kinds of songs that don’t fit his “brand” of masculinity. Gunnar and he get into fights when they’re in a band together about what songs to sing, since Will only wants upbeat, popular tunes while Gunnar (a 4) is all about emo “I lost the girl and am so sad about it” ballads.
He is obsessed with success and awards, wanting to achieve greatness and find acceptance. His self-worth is so tied to his musical career, that when it goes away, Will spirals and doesn’t know who he is, why he exists, or what to do with his life. He “rots” on the couch for months, falling into a 9ish passivity, apathy, and lack of interest in leaving his apartment or facing others’ disapproval. Nothing seems worth doing anymore. He confesses in one episode that he doesn’t know what he wants, or who he is inside, because he is always reflecting and trying to show people what he thinks will appeal to them.
The 2 Wing
Will is a genuinely nice guy, but he also cares way too much about what other people think and needs their approval (a 3w2 “trap”). He feels guilt and shame about who he is, and tries to make up for it by giving people gifts, flattering them, encouraging them, and being a good friend. He is supportive, warm-hearted, and cares about Layla even after he confides the truth in her. It shames him that Luke has to stand up for him in public, because he knows he should stand up for himself.
Over time, Will becomes more able to reject what others think about him, but still struggles not to want to maintain an idealized image of someone good, kind, strong, and generous. He is friendly, charismatic, good at making people like him, and uses charm to get ahead.
Related Links:
More ESFP Characters
More Enneagram Content
Why Will Lexington Isn’t an ESTP
(ESFP vs ESTP)
I thought Will was an ESTP when I first started watching the show, but after some thinking about it, changed my mind.
First, ESTPs approach situations with detached pragmatism and quick logical problem-solving, relying heavily on objective analysis before acting. Will’s decisions are consistently shaped by deep personal feelings and internal values. His struggle with his identity, especially regarding his sexuality and public image, is not handled in a cool or strategic way. Instead, he reacts emotionally and personally, showing the influence of Introverted Feeling (Fi), a core ESFP function.
Second, Will’s storyline revolves around authenticity and emotional self-expression, particularly through music. While both ESFPs and ESTPs can thrive in performance environments, ESFPs use performance as a way to express their inner emotional world. Will’s journey as an artist reflects this pattern: his music becomes an outlet for feelings he struggles to express openly, especially as he wrestles with living honestly versus maintaining an image expected by the industry.
Third, ESTPs show greater emotional detachment and adaptability in high-pressure situations, navigating challenges with strategic flexibility. Will frequently becomes emotionally overwhelmed by internal conflict, especially when forced to hide who he is. His decisions (such as entering relationships to maintain appearances or pushing himself to conform to expectations) reflect a deep concern with personal values and emotional acceptance rather than the pragmatic opportunism typical of ESTPs.
Finally, Will’s growth arc focuses on accepting himself and living authentically, a theme strongly associated with Fi-driven types like ESFPs. Rather than approaching life primarily as a strategic game to win, he is trying to align his public life with his inner emotional truth.
