Interview: Talking ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ with Cherry Jones

No matter what you see Cherry Jones in, you know she’s going to do strong work. That just comes with the territory for an actress who has been rewarded, award-wise, as much as she has. A five time Tony Award nominee (and two time winner), as well as a three time Emmy Award winner, Jones has got the goods. In The Eyes of Tammy Faye, she gets a plum supporting role playing the mother of Jessica Chastain‘s Tammy Faye Bakker. A role that could be completely throwaway is given some life by her talents. A month or so ago, I was lucky enough to speak on the phone with her about this work. Today, you can hear our conversation…

Below, you can hear my interview with Jones. We spoke plenty about The Eyes of Tammy Faye, but I made sure to bring up some of her lesser seen film work, including The Beaver. She was a lovely woman to speak with, and I’m thrilled we’re about to share it with you. Her movie just debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival, in advance of theatrical release. Chastain is great, so definitely check it out!

My TIFF review of The Eyes of Tammy Faye, in case you’re curious, is here and includes this bit:

Watching a biopic about a controversial figure can often lend an edge to an otherwise fairly traditional genre. Especially if they could almost equally be portrayed in a sympathetic or villainous light, the possibilities exist for something that stands out from the pack. So, while The Eyes of Tammy Faye is an enjoyable biopic, one with a fantastic leading lady turn, it does play things almost too safe. Instead of choosing an avenue, it swerves in between, opting for the most mainstream approach possible. The result is enjoyable, no doubt, but does suggest a great movie is hidden within this only decently good one. 

Here now is my conversation with The Eyes of Tammy Faye co-star Cherry Jones. Enjoy:

The Eyes of Tammy Faye hits theaters this weekend!