The Showtime series George & Tammy, which follows the love story between country legends George Jones and Tammy Wynette, is already a hit with audiences. The series premiere garnered 3.3 million live and same day viewers during its simulcast on Paramount, Showtime and CMT. (It's the most watched premiere in the history of Showtime.)
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That success is due in no small part to actors Jessica Chastain, who portrays the "First Lady of Country Music," Wynette, and Michael Shannon, who plays the role of the golden-voiced singer of heart-wrenching ballads and honky-tonkers, Jones.
Series creator Abe Sylvia, who first approached Chastain about the project in 2011, says he immediately knew the actress would be perfect for the role of Wynette when he saw her in the 2011 Terrence Malick film The Tree of Life.
"I remember it very well," Sylvia tells Wide Open Country. "It was the same weekend I had the idea to do the show. I saw a photograph of Tammy Wynette -- it was actually George and Tammy and they were holding each other, but looking away from the camera. I love this idea of two public people who were trying to hang onto something private for themselves. And that same weekend I saw The Tree of Life and something happened. There was a kind of a confluence of spirit, I think, in that moment. I think it was a moment of inspiration that held because Jessica remained committed to the project through a lot of ups and downs."
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Chastain brought on friend and Take Shelter co-star Michael Shannon after Josh Brolin, who was originally tapped for the role of Jones, dropped out. Together, the actors bring the music icons' fiery chemistry to the small screen, capturing the highs and lows of the couple's six year marriage and lifelong friendship. The series is based on the book The Three of Us: Growing Up With Tammy & George by Georgette Jones, the daughter of Jones and Wynette.
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"It's an epic love story. It's one of the greatest love stories, I think, of all time," says Sylvia, who wrote The Eyes of Tammy Faye, the 2021 film which earned Chastain an Academy Award. "It's certainly in that tradition of Romeo and Juliet, but it's set on the stage of country music. I grew up on George and Tammy as a boy in Oklahoma and was a longtime fan so to get to know Georgette [Jones] and her family has been a real personal honor."
Chastain, who produced the series through her production company, Freckle Films, said she was drawn to Wynette's tenacity and fearless spirit.
"She showed up in Nashville, a divorced single mom with three kids on her hip, determined to be a success in an industry that really didn't allow room for girl singers on their own," Chastain told Wide Open Country. "She forced them to really see her and contend with her. And that was really exciting to see -- all the aspects of what she had to come up against. I know it's still difficult for women in Nashville, but it was especially so in the 1960s."
Chastain scored a 2023 Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of Wynette. She'll compete against Julia Garner ("Inventing Anna"), Lily James ("Pam & Tommy"), Julia Roberts ("Gaslit") and Amanda Seyfried ("The Dropout").
