Oscar Winner Jessica Chastain To Play Country Music Icon
For years, Hollywood has been talking about making a movie about the life of Tammy Wynette and George Jones, who were married and sang duets together in the 1970s. Now…
For years, Hollywood has been talking about making a movie about the life of Tammy Wynette and George Jones, who were married and sang duets together in the 1970s. Now with Oscar winner Jessica Chastain playing Wynette, a six-part mini-series is close to release. Actor Michael Shannon will play George Jones.
Jessica told Vanity Fair about the project she first agreed to in 2011. She admits she didn't know much about the "First Lady Of Country Music," but after doing some research, she was intrigued. She said, "It was fascinating to me that someone like Tammy Wynette, who sang all these songs like 'Stand by Your Man,' also was married five times. I was excited about this woman who was married and divorced multiple times and struggling in Nashville and really made a name for herself on her own. She charted multiple times before she met George Jones."
Dubbed George & Tammy, the series will focus on the couple who married in 1969, charted many country music hits, and divorced in 1975. Chastain said, "I was really moved by the love story between them—I started to listen to the music and understood that they were always singing to each other. They were both a huge part of each other's lives."
Shannon told Vanity Fair of the role of one of the greatest country singers of all time, "George Jones is, to my ear, one of the finest singers I've ever heard in my life. It's obviously a fool's errand to try to completely emulate that—that's one of the reasons he's legendary, is that there will never be another one like him."
The actors turned to a Nashville vocal coach to rehearse George and Tammy's songs to get them just right. Shannon offered, "These songs, they're pretty deep, and they've got some dark corners in them, and we spent a lot of time with them. In addition to learning how to sing them, I think they also kind of taught us about who the people were and the story we were telling."
George & Tammy is expected to stream on Paramount+ before the year's end.
The nominees for the 2022 ACM Female Artist of the year honor are Gabby Barrett, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde, and Carly Pearce.
Gabby, Ashley, and Carly have never taken home this honor.
Maren has won the honor two times in 2019 and in 2020, and Miranda has won this award nine times in a row from 2009 to 2017.
Previous winners of the honor include superstars Carrie Underwood, Reba, and Faith Hill.
The 2022 ACM Awards will be streamed live on March 7, 2022, on Prime Video. The show is hosted by Dolly Parton, Jimmie Allen, and Gabby Barrett.
Gabby Barrett
Rick Diamond/Getty ImagesNASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 12: Gabby Barrett performs at the 2019 CMT Next Women Of Country Celebration at CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on November 12, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for CMT)
Gabby Barrett
Jason Kempin/Getty ImagesNASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 13: Gabby Barrett attends the 2021 CMT Artist of the Year on October 13, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for CMT/Viacom)
Gabby Barrett
Allen Berezovsky/Getty ImagesLOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 23: Singer Gabby Barrett arrives at ABC's "American Idol" show on April 23, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
Miranda Lambert
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesLAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 07: Miranda Lambert performs onstage during the 54th Academy Of Country Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 07, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Miranda Lambert
David Becker/Getty ImagesLAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 03: Recording artist Miranda Lambert attends the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 3, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
Miranda Lambert
Isaac Brekken/Getty ImagesLAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 01: Singers Carrie Underwood (L) and Miranda Lambert perform onstage at the 4th ACM Party for a Cause Festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on April 1, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for ACM)
Ashley McBryde
Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesLAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 07: New Female Artist of the Year award winner Ashley McBryde poses in the press room during the 54th Academy Of Country Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 07, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Ashley McBryde
Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesLAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 07: New Female Artist of the Year award winner Ashley McBryde in the press room during the 54th Academy Of Country Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 07, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Ashley McBryde
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesLAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 07: Ashley McBryde performs onstage during the 54th Academy Of Country Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 07, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Maren Morris
Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesLAS VEGAS, NV - APRIL 02: Recording artist Maren Morris performs onstage during the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena on April 2, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Maren Morris
David Becker/Getty ImagesLAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 03: Singer Maren Morris attends the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 3, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
Maren Morris
Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesLAS VEGAS, NV - APRIL 02: Recording artist Maren Morris accepts the T-Mobile New Female Vocalist of the Year award during the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena on April 2, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Carly Pearce
Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesLAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 07: Carly Pearce attends the 54th Academy Of Country Music Awards at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino on April 07, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Carly Pearce
Terry Wyatt/Getty ImagesNASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - AUGUST 24: Carly Pearce performs during the ACM Party For A Cause at Ascend Amphitheater on August 24, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for ACM)
Carly Pearce
Emma McIntyre/Getty ImagesLAS VEGAS, NV - APRIL 14: Carly Pearce (L) and Dustin Lynch attend the Radio Awards Reception during the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards at Topgolf Las Vegas on April 14, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for ACM)
