It’s Happening: George Jones & Tammy Wynette Series Starts Filming
So often we get hints and allegations of cool film or television projects involving country legends on-the-way, and more times than not they seem to dissolve or get forgotten before they make it into production. That will not be the case for the limited series George & Tammy, which is set to begin filming in Wilmington, North Carolina momentarily according to local reports.
Based on the 2013 book The Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George written by the couple’s only child Georgette Jones, the series was picked up by Spectrum Originals in September 2020 after first being revealed in 2016. Spectrum Originals will air the series exclusively for nine months, and then will later be available on Paramount and ViacomCBS for streaming. There is no official release date just yet.
Playing Tammy Wynette will be award-winning actress Jessica Chastain. To play George Jones is presumably Josh Brolin, who was originally announced as George when the project was first revealed, and is also a producer on the project. But Brolin as George has yet to be confirmed in any of the project’s recent press releases.
“I have a bit of a past and when they were trying to figure out who might be best able to best play George Jones, they thought, ‘What about Brolin? Who’s been to jail in the last 10 years? Let’s pick Brolin!” Josh said in a Conan O’Brien interview in 2016 when the project was first revealed. “I’m gonna do that with Jessica Chastain, who is gonna play Tammy Wynette. She’s amazing. It’s gonna be a lot of fun.”
George Jones and Tammy Wynette were married for six years between 1969 and 1975, but had a professional country music duet career for much longer. The relationship was both passionate and tempestuous, and will certainly make for quality drama, so much so they decided to extend it into a multi-part series from the original idea of a feature film.
David Hutkin and Bob Yari of 101 Studios are also executive producers with Josh Brolin. 101 is the same studio that is producing Paramount’s successful series Yellowstone that features many of today’s independent country artists. Abe Sylvia, who is best known for producing the popular Netflix series “Dead to Me” and Showtime series “Nurse Jackie,” is the creator of the series. The success of Abe Sylvia’s previous projects is the reason the project blossomed from a film into a limited series.
“I am humbled to bring this incredible story to life with the breadth it deserves and that the Charter platforms allow,” says Abe Sylvia. “Tammy Wynette is an American icon, and I can think of no one better to illuminate the woman behind the legend than Jessica Chastain.
More information on George & Tammy when it becomes available.
April 24, 2021 @ 9:15 am
If this is half as good as Yellowstone – I’m there.
May 27, 2021 @ 7:29 am
I think Jim Currie would better George he has the possum eyes and is silly like George.He could play pranks on u or be drunk and want to kill u.George, my Uncle, was alot of fun when he wasn’t drunk.
April 24, 2021 @ 9:42 am
It was sure looking like things have gone to pieces for this project, and I felt tears welling up cold and deep inside like my heart sprung a big break, but it’s good to know now that Brolin and Chastain are going to fill their shoes. No doubt the race is on to find commercial sponsors. I plan to watch this program on the patio by watching one of my televisions that is visible from the window up above.
May 3, 2021 @ 2:01 am
It’s going to be on streaming services (Spectrum Originals & Paramount+) eventually, so there’s no need for commercial sponsors.
April 24, 2021 @ 10:45 am
We got a George and Tammy series coming out, Sam Rockwell to play Merle Haggard, Dennis Quaid working on a Charley Pride biopic. The only thing missing is a Keith Whitley movie.
April 24, 2021 @ 11:20 am
Waylon
April 24, 2021 @ 1:32 pm
i just hope they get it right and cast the right people. i maybe in the minority, but I thought joaquin phoenix was terrible as johnny cash. sorry i just did not buy him as cash.
April 24, 2021 @ 3:58 pm
I always thought Jim Carrey would kill as GJ.
April 24, 2021 @ 5:34 pm
Sounds like a mostly Tammy focused piece from the article. I’m not sure how accurate or encompassing the story will be for Jones life and career, but we’ll see. The George Jones biopic still needs to happen, Cocaine and Rhinestones will hopefully cover the Jones story better than ever before.
April 24, 2021 @ 10:55 pm
I don’t think the series will primarily focus on Tammy. I think it will focus on both. However, for some reason we have no received confirmation of who will play George. It was initially supposed to be John Brolin and it still may be. But they’re playing coy, perhaps waiting to announce it until the series is done and they’re ready to promote it.
April 26, 2021 @ 8:36 am
Yes, but we must consider the material source and understand the relationship between the source and Tammy. What was the source relationship with both George and Tammy? How old was the source during this small window of 6-7 years George and Tammy were together? Did the source have a closer relationship with George or with Tammy? Is the source more concerned with getting out the truth or getting out a support piece for a certain person? I have my thoughts on each of these questions, but will reserve those until the piece is finished. I just have my doubts that any piece only focusing on the 6-7 years George and Tammy were together, is a piece that ultimately will not do his life or career justice. Unfortunately booze and drugs fried his memory and he seemed to never respond on his thoughts/feelings in any interview, so his truth may never be told. He was the greatest singer ever before he met Tammy and he was still the greatest singer ever after Tammy left.
April 26, 2021 @ 9:52 am
Fair points, though I would say in Georgette’s defense, I think a lot of the issues she had with her dad were always through Nancy, not directly. She loved her dad, and though she was young, lived through those years in first person, so I can’t imagine a better source for that info, including George who as you say, may have not even remembered that era, or remembered it well, or remembered it wrongly.
July 3, 2021 @ 5:28 am
Why all the negativity; do you have something against Georgette? I have every confidence in her trustworthiness and ability to tell her parents story accurately. Anyone close to the situation knows Nancy was at the root of the separation of George and those he loved most.
July 5, 2021 @ 12:44 pm
There is no negativity towards anyone. I’m asking objective questions about a main source whom was simply a child during this small period of George and Tammy’s few year marriage, and who was raised mostly by her mother. I agree Nancy had clear self intentions and objectives for her own benefit and would also state that her side of the story would not be an accurate or encompassing “George Jones” story. George was carrying the title of greatest country singer ever a good decade and a half prior to Georgette’s birth and a good two decades plus before Nancy came into the picture. I’ve read nearly every book on Jones and so far Tyler Coe’s podcast is covering the “George Jones” story from an unbiased and deeper perspective than any of the books I’ve read. There’s so much bias in this story, mostly due to Jones own lack of memory due to ridiculous addiction and substance abuse and Tammy’s known self story promotion (both massive exaggeration and false claims).
April 25, 2021 @ 5:05 am
After watching the ‘Tales from the Tour Bus’ episodes on George and Tammy, I’m looking forward to this. I would also like to see a movie or series on Waylon, he did so much on many levels.
April 25, 2021 @ 9:40 am
So true!
I saw Waylon several times at a club in Fort Worth through the years.
The first time I saw him he played on the third floor in what used to be the attic.
The second time I saw him he and his band set up in the renovated cellar of the building.
The last time I saw him the concert was in the grand ballroom on the main floor.
Waylon performed on so many levels.
April 26, 2021 @ 4:47 am
I dont think this should only go ahead if peanut Montgomery and Charlene Montgomery see it over first as they tell and know the truth. Also I wish George Jones was here to give it the go ahead.
April 30, 2021 @ 5:33 am
At least they’re not considering Jim carrey as George (yet). I’d much rather see a good documentary on George and Tammy than a bunch of Hollywood folks acting all ‘country’.
May 1, 2021 @ 6:25 am
No matter who is cast in either role, they’re merely playing the part. George and Tammy lived it. Amazing lives, amazing performers.
May 20, 2021 @ 5:17 pm
Jim Carrey should play George Jones, Maybe in the movie version if there is one? Hope so!
May 20, 2021 @ 5:44 pm
Look up photos of george jones and Johnny paycheck!!
May 20, 2021 @ 5:51 pm
The Double Trouble album by George Jones and Johnny paycheck!
May 20, 2021 @ 5:54 pm
The Double Trouble album by George Jones and Johnny paycheck. No doubt jim carrey could pull off playing George Jones!
May 20, 2021 @ 5:58 pm
The Double Trouble album by George Jones and Johnny paycheck. No doubt jim carrey could pull off playing George Jones! If you look up photos of that album and watch george jones https://youtu.be/2H1a37vbsOk
May 20, 2021 @ 6:00 pm
https://youtu.be/2H1a37vbsOk
August 11, 2021 @ 8:57 am
Some people say George Jones resembled Jim Carrey, but that was at one point in his life when he had lost so much weight and his face had really deep lines due to alcohol and drug abuse.
George Jones didn’t look like Jim Carrey, he looked like Cary Grant.
Place the album by Cary Grant entitled “An Affair to Remember” next to the George Jones album, titled “A Picture of Me.” This album cover featured a portrait of George’s face next to the yellow rose.
Please notice that these specific pictures of Cary Grant and George Jones almost look like they are twins and that includes the cleft chin that both had.
You can also see George’s resemblance to Cary Grant on the video where George is singing “Milwaukee Here I Come” with Tammy Wynette on the Doyle Wilburn show. This is the one where Tammy is wearing the yellow dress with a yellow band in her hair. Look at all George’s appearances on the Wilburn Brothers shows. You will see how much he looked like Cary Grant.