Josh Brolin to Play George Jones in Biopic – Jessica Chastain Is Tammy Wynette
This story has been updated.
The cast for an upcoming biopic on the life of George Jones is starting to take shape, and the leading man appears to be Josh Brolin. He will play The Possum according to reports, as well as work in the capacity as producer for the film. Starring beside Brolin will be Jessica Chastain playing Tammy Wynette, who was famously and tumultuously married to George during his heyday.
UPDATE: There are two George Jones biopics being made. One is being made by George’s widow Nancy Jones, and another by his daughter Georgette Jones focusing more on the relationship between George Jones and Tammy Wynette.
Brolin explained back in August of 2015 that he began in the capacity as a producer of the film, and wasn’t necessarily deciding at first to play George Jones himself. “I really enjoy it,” he said of producing to The Independent. “Through the last five or six years I don’t care as much. I don’t care what people think as much. I really like the profession that I’m in I thought it was too pretentious to say that before. I love the art of telling stories and I love people who are good at it.”
But as time went on, Brolin decided he was right for the part. On Wednesday (2-3), Brolin was on Conan, and spoke about the upcoming biopic. “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! … 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.”
Brolin said he’s been studying all the George Jones quirks for the part. “He talked like a duck for three years. He refused to speak in anything but duck voice for three years. The only time he came out of duck voice was to do another number one hit for that year, so whenever he would sing it would be a number one hit and then he’d go and have a drink and speak in duck voice. They thought it was a joke, but a joke lasts for what, five, maybe 10 minutes”¦?”
The biopic was first announced in May of 2015, with 28 Entertainment out of Los Angeles financing the film, and Alan Wenkus, known most recently for being the writer and researcher for the music biopic Straight Outta Compton, writing the film. The producers are said to have spent time with George Jones during his final years.
READ: 10 Badass George Jones Moments
No word on when production for the film may start in earnest or when we may expect a release date.
February 5, 2016 @ 5:21 am
If you’re going to sing it, it helps if you’ve lived it. I suppose the same applies to acting. Always been a fan of Josh Brolin, I’m sure he’ll be great
February 5, 2016 @ 5:24 am
Brolin was born in California so this film will fail.
February 5, 2016 @ 1:16 pm
Do we know where in California? I need to know exactly how many miles away from the South he was born so that I’ll know how loudly to whine.
February 5, 2016 @ 1:35 pm
From my calculations it’s around 100 miles from where Merle Haggard and Buck Owens launched their careers.
February 5, 2016 @ 1:38 pm
🙂
February 5, 2016 @ 2:04 pm
Yeah. If only he were a part of a profession in which people are paid to pretend, and pretend convincingly…
February 5, 2016 @ 6:37 am
Dedoodle the Duck and The Old Man (who sounded like Walter Brennan.)
I’m sure this picture will be a huge success (I still think “Choices” would be a better title, or “Cold Hard Truth.”)
The reason is that Jones was leaps and bounds more talented as an artist than Hank Williams, except when it came to writing. He even played lead guitar for Hank Williams. He’s had more life experience to draw inspiration from, and because he isn’t so far away in history he’ll be easier for the common audience member to relate to, like that lawnmower story.
February 5, 2016 @ 7:22 am
Yeah, I like your title suggestions better. I really hope they get this right.
February 5, 2016 @ 9:47 am
“He even played lead guitar for Hank Williams.”
Correction: He was SUPPOSED to play lead guitar for Hank on a show at a radio station where Jones had a regular gig. According to Jones, he was so in awe of being in the same room with the man that he just stood there holding the guitar and didn’t play a note.
I think Brolin will be great. He’s one of the few actors that can really disappear into his character and make you forger than you’re watching Josh Brolin. Daniel Day-Lewis is a similar actor.
Many years ago (probably 20+) when the idea of a movie about George Jones was being tossed around, the Possum stated that he would like to see Tommy Lee Jones play him. Tommy Lee is a little old to play George now, unless the story focused on the last few years of his life. With this in mind, what’s interesting about Brolin taking the role is that he played a younger version of Tommy Lee’s character Agent K in Men in Black 3.
February 5, 2016 @ 11:16 am
We may want to consider “No Show Jones” as the working title that still could be changed in the future. That is what it was announced as initially, but Brolin didn’t use that name in his comments.
February 5, 2016 @ 3:53 pm
I always thought “Why Baby Why” would have been a good choice for the title
February 5, 2016 @ 6:53 am
Hey Trig, any idea what part of Jones’ story they plan on telling? Obviously going to include some middle years with Tammy there. Any clue how early in his life it will start and how late in his life it will go?
February 5, 2016 @ 11:18 am
I haven’t seen any info on this just yet, but yes we can guarantee the Tammy years will be in there, and those were some of the most interesting (cue riding lawnmower jokes).
February 5, 2016 @ 11:23 am
I am very sincerely hoping for the lawnmower story to go in (I know there was more than one, but please put one of them in)
February 5, 2016 @ 12:10 pm
The lawnmower incident took place when he was married to Shirley Corley (wife #2).
February 5, 2016 @ 1:38 pm
The most famous one did, but it also happened during Tammy’s watch:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/george-jones-his-notorious-riding-lawnmower/
The second, lesser-known incident of George Jone”™s escapades on a riding lawnmower happened when he was married to Tammy Wynette. Taking a cue from George”™s previous wife Shirley, Tammy hid all the keys from George, but George had been down that road before. Wynette woke up one night at 1 AM to find George missing. “I got into the car and drove to the nearest bar 10 miles away,” Tammy recounted in 1979. “When I pulled into the parking lot there sat our rider-mower right by the entrance. He”™d driven that mower right down a main highway. He looked up and saw me and said, `Well, fellas, here she is now. My little wife, I told you she”™d come after me.’”
February 5, 2016 @ 2:52 pm
I’m pretty sure that was on a list of incidents from Tammy’s book that he said didn’t happen. I’ll post a reference if I can remember where I read it.
February 5, 2016 @ 8:59 am
As much as I like Josh Brolin as an actor, I still don’t understand why filmmakers seem to be incapable of finding Southern actors to play Southerners. Having been born and lived my entire life in the South I’ve heard a lot of people try to fake it but it can’t be done convincingly.
February 5, 2016 @ 9:06 am
Brolin seemed to pull it off in “No Country for Old Men”.
Brolin is one of the best actors going today, as long as the script and directors are good, I feel confident he can pull this off.
February 5, 2016 @ 1:15 pm
He was very good in “No Country for Old Men.” (And in “The Goonies” too, although that could just be nostalgia talking.)
I really like Jessica Chastain as well. She’s been doing some great work lately.
February 5, 2016 @ 2:07 pm
He was also very good in the True Grit remake, as was Jeff Bridges (also from California). Both Tom Chaney and Rooster Cogburn are from Arkansas, and both were played excellently by their respective performers, so Brolin gets the benefit of the doubt from me.
February 6, 2016 @ 10:02 am
Well the true grit remake was awful. Nowhere near the quality of acting and dialogue as the original.
I know I know it was more accurate to the book but remaking a Wayne production is almost cinematic blasphemy. What’s next? Michael Bay directs “The Searchers” starring Hayden Christiansen????
February 6, 2016 @ 1:19 pm
Fuzzy, sometimes it sounds like you’re just saying what you think old curmudgeons would want to hear. Just because something is old and was first does not make it innately better than what follows. I love John Wayne; he’s my favorite actor. But that doesn’t make a remake of one of his films bad on general principle. True Grit was based on a novel, it was not written for Duke. He has no claim on the role past his own portrayal and the fact that he was first (much like Sean Connery and James Bond).
And it’s funny that you should mention the acting; I wasn’t aware Glen Campbell was aware of the practice. His “performance” is so wooden I had to knock sawdust off of my shirt after watching. Much as I love Wayne, I’ve always felt he jammed up the role a little too much to the point that Rooster was less of a character and more of a caricature. It doesn’t even get close to his phenomenal work in films like The Quiet Man, The Searchers, Red River or The Shootist.. Kim Darby is just kind of annoying and naggy, an ice always hated her little boy haircut in the film.
Remember, all I initially commented on was Brolin. I never said I had any affinity for the material itself, despite my immense fandom of Wayne and respect for Charles Portis’ original novel and the fact that he set it in good ol’ Arkansas.
February 8, 2016 @ 7:44 pm
Honestly, John Wayne is overrated and the dialogue of the original film can’t compare to the remake. The Coen Brothers are known for their excellent dialogue and getting great performances out of their actors which is exactly what they did with the remake of True Grit. I enjoyed John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, but Jeff Bridges is just a higher quality actor, and Matt Damon and Hailey Steinfeld were leagues ahead of Glen Campbell or Kim Darby in their respective roles.
February 18, 2016 @ 3:15 pm
@Trainwreck92
Really? I’ve done my fair share of splitting hairs over who’s underrated and overrated (on this very site, no less), but I don’t think John Wayne is. He’s immensely popular, and has eclipsed literally every single other actor of his period (as well as many later ones), but popularity isn’t the same thing as respect. He’s an icon and droves of people love him, but how often do you see any real consideration of his talent as an actor?
Was he a “great” actor? Yes and no. My opinion is that he was a great actor when he wanted to be, but a somewhat poor artist. With a few notable exceptions, Duke always played a type (mostly in westerns) that was well within his comfort zone. The only times he branched out was when he was under the wing of a great director like John Ford (who regularly emasculated him, unfortunately), Howard Hawks and even Don Siegel. The rest of the time, his persona and star power allowed him to muscle the personnel behind the camera into making the film and story the way he wanted it. Wayne had to have someone he not only respected but considered a superior to bring out that extra mile from him. But when they did, it was pure magic; see my previously cited examples of Red River, The Quiet Man, The Cowboys, The Shootist and most importantly The Searchers (of which filmmakers as diverse as Martin Scorsese, Curtis Hanson, John Milius, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg have all lauded).
Also to Wayne’s credit, it’s my own observation, even as a young 20-something man, that Wayne elicited an intensity and drive that few actors have ever emulated or surpassed, much less with little to no vulgarity as Duke did it (these days, any actor playing such a character as Ethan Edwards would probably confuse f-bombs for anger).
I’ve also never really understood post-modern deconstructions of his acting style. People seem to forget (or just not realize) that he predated method acting. When he was coming of age in the industry, actors weren’t paid to lose themselves in roles, they were paid to be themselves and have their name at the top of the marquee. The artistry was still there, it was just filtered differently. Wayne was a part of this, and only by the nature of his appeal was he able to last into his final years on his star power. No other actor has remained a leading man as long as he did, even while he basically played 1950s characters in the 1970s (talking tough, man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, few flaws, etc.) He was at his best when playing imperfect characters, hence why his best performances are usually of such ilk.
To each his own; no one is required to like or dislike any given artist or work, no matter how many publications might propagate such a point-of-view. However, if one fails to see the intrinsic value of actors like John Wayne and even people like Arnold Schwarzenegger, forgive me if I’m inclined to think that they’re the ones with a skewed perspective, not the fans.
February 5, 2016 @ 10:59 am
Nobody cares
February 5, 2016 @ 1:12 pm
**sorry, wrong place**
February 5, 2016 @ 8:50 pm
Ha – I love that people think I did something clever here, instead of just having to delete a response that I had fat-fingered into the wrong place. Ok sure, I’ll go with it!
February 5, 2016 @ 1:09 pm
Great casting. Josh and Jessica are great actors.
P.S – Check this out guys lol The new and improved Chase Rice, Trig! Haha http://chaserice.com/news/267983
February 5, 2016 @ 2:09 pm
I’m extremely excited about this. Brolin’s a fine actor, and in that picture I can even see a bit of Jones in his facial features. However, consider my excitement measured until this film reaches the festival circuit. If it’s considered a front-runner for awards until people actually see it, and the release date is suddenly postponed, I think we can chalk up another casualty.
February 5, 2016 @ 2:27 pm
The fundamental difference here is this film is being made by multiple professionals who have proven experience making musical biopics specifically. With “I Saw The Light,” the writer, the director, and the producer were all the same people, and he had only directed one other film, and never written a screenplay. It was a recipe for disaster from the beginning, and why the Hank Williams estate signed off on it is a very good question. Here, there’s enough professionals involved that at the least experience won’t be the issue. I don’t think Nancy Jones is going to allow a bad movie to be made.
February 5, 2016 @ 3:33 pm
If not josh brolin then I know this sounds like a stretch. Go look at a picture of young George Jones and me,myself and Irene Jim carrey. Dead ringer. Just have a look
http://wkdq.com/who-should-play-george-jones-in-the-new-movie/
February 6, 2016 @ 12:11 am
If the movie does suck then at least Jessica will keep me distracted.
February 6, 2016 @ 5:45 am
Trig, have you seen Georgette Jones recent Facebook post. Apparently this casting is for a biopic she is making, separate from “No Show Jones.”
So we’re going to have two Jones biopics in the works.
February 6, 2016 @ 10:26 am
I saw that too. Georgette’s movie is about George & Tammy, I presume the other movie (Nancy’s) will focus on later events in his life.
I look forward to seeing them both.
February 6, 2016 @ 10:46 am
Yes, I’ve been looking into this. Will have something on it soon. As we know, no love lost between Georgette and Nancy.
February 6, 2016 @ 8:45 am
Brolin will nail it. He morphed into “W”…you couldn’t tell the difference. He’ll get it right.
February 6, 2016 @ 8:55 am
I saw posts from Georgette and several of her family members as well saying the media had mixed up her movie with Nancy’s “No Show Jones” one. These are the actors from her separate film that’s not yet titled. According to her older sister it’s based off of Georgette’s book, “The Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George”
February 6, 2016 @ 12:47 pm
Just to clarify some things here, the media did not have anything “mixed up.” The making of the “No Show Jones” movie had been announced, documented, verified, a press release served to the public, etc. etc. last year. The second movie nobody knew about, except for some scant rumor centered around Facebook. So when Josh Brolin goes on Conan and says he’s working on a George Jones movie, there’s only one George Jones movie that his statements could be tied to. Nobody in the media could have reported that it was actually a different move Georgette was making because nobody knew about the second movie. And even now, the only reason we know about the second movie is because Georgette posted something on her Facebook page about it some 72 hours after Josh Brolin’s Conan appearance. Nobody can assume that there’s two George Jones biopics being made at the same time. I would say the natural assumption would be that there’s only one, especially since only one had been announced publicly. So CLARIFYING that there’s two movies, and which one Josh Brolin is starring in is one thing. But saying the media has it wrong or “mixed up” because we were not given the proper information I think is not putting the blame on the proper parties. The media wants to get stuff right, but that information has to be made available to them. And just because you post something on Facebook does not mean 1) the whole word sees it (though Facebook makes you think this is true), and 2) The media has been properly informed of the information.
I’ve posted a new article with the updated information, and updated this one. Apologies on my part for any confusion caused.
February 22, 2020 @ 2:25 am
Sorry to say this Trigger, you sound a bit negative toward Georgette Jones and quite sympathetic toward Nancy Sepulvado Jones. If in fact you are going to take one side over the other’s, given the shameful things Nancy Sepulvado Jones has done, it would seem the negatively is misplaced. I respectfully ask, do you have a personal or professional connection with Nancy Sepulvado Jones?
February 22, 2020 @ 9:15 am
NO, I don’t. Nor do I think I’m taking one side over another. This topic, which is now over 4 years old, was a weird one to cover because basically two films on the same subject got announced at the same time. This created lots of confusion.
February 22, 2020 @ 8:18 pm
Thanks for your reply. I know this is an old topic and an old article but I just recently saw the article. As far as the movie, being a huge Jones and Wynette fan, Im still waiting hopefully for Georgette’s movie to come out.
June 13, 2016 @ 3:28 am
Ihave admired him for a very long time. When he was performing at gilleys in pasadena texas he kept falling off the stool but he never stopped singing. And admiration to him after his dad passed and was singing for money a wee young age for his family. Great one from the Ole dogs rip George you blessed us with great heartfelt music till you left the earth. You are missed.