George Jones & Tammy Wynette Actors Receive Emmy Nominations
Michael Shannon has received an Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor for a Limited Series, and Jessica Chastain has received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress for a Limited Series for their roles portraying George Jones and Tammy Wynette respectively in the Showtime series George & Tammy.
The six-part series also received nominations for Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series, and Outstanding Period Costumes for a Limited Series. The Emmy Awards will happen on September 18th. Jessica Chastain was already awarded by the Screen Actors Guild for Outstanding Actress in her role earlier this year.
The nominations come amid the continuing critical acclaim for George & Tammy, which received rave reviews, despite some devoted traditional country fans criticizing the singing of Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain, who chose to sing their parts live as opposed to lip syncing. Some have also criticized some of the timeline and dramatization of the country duo’s tumultuous time together.
“I love all the jobs I work on, and I put a lot into the work I’ve done on television over the years. But I feel like this one was a huge challenge, and the possibility of it not working out was very real,” Michael Shannon tells Deadline. “Jessica [Chastain]’s devotion and this unspoken bond we share got us through it somehow.”
According to Showtime, the debut episode of George & Tammy was the most-watched premier in the cable network’s history, tracing back nearly 50 years. The series currently holds an 84% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes. The limited series was based off of the 2013 book The Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George written by the couple’s only child, performer Georgette Jones.
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. George & Tammy began shooting in Wilmington, North Carolina in 2021, and announced that Michael Shannon would be assuming the role of George Jones after the original actor Josh Brolin had to back out due to a scheduling conflict.
July 16, 2023 @ 10:39 am
Well deserved. I nominate for an award whoever was responsible for depicting the age of the characters at various stages of life. I guess it’s a combo of hair & makeup, wardrobe, and acting. The series did a good job with that.
July 16, 2023 @ 1:17 pm
Well deserved. A really good drama.
July 16, 2023 @ 2:05 pm
Jessica Chastain was excellent in her depiction of Tammy. Her reactions to “George” were very honest and believable and she looked as sad and vulnerable as Tammy often did in real-life. Definitely an award-worthy performance..
Michael Shannon was completely miscast in his role. He likely did the best he could but that is far from award-worthy in my opinion. While Jessica’s excellent portrayal made you feel Tammy’s struggles and pain I never once believed that Michael was “George.” Had a similar reaction to Joaquin Phoenix’s inaccurate and laughable portrayal of Johnny Cash in Walk The Line.
July 16, 2023 @ 7:26 pm
I do not believe George Jones is dead. I say that because I’m aware of a maitre d at a restaurant in Houston who bears a strong resemblance to him and who welcomes customers to the establishment by saying, “Step right up. Come on in.”
July 17, 2023 @ 7:40 am
Well deserved. They did a great job, and the series was outstanding.
July 17, 2023 @ 9:27 am
I just started rewatching this because I also just started George’s autobiography. The book is great so far. And I didn’t hate on the show.
July 22, 2023 @ 7:56 pm
That actor doesn’t even remotely look like Possum.
So much for versimillitude.
July 26, 2023 @ 9:20 am
Kudos to them. Proud to have been the “home” for the music that was recorded for this series. And a dear friend was the music producer. Glad they got some recognition. I thoroughly enjoyed it.