Jessica Chastain undergoes radical ‘four-hour’ transformation for film about televangelist Tammy Faye

She is genuinely unrecognisable

Jessica Chastain is the latest Hollywood star to undergo a radical transformation for a movie role.

The actor is playing Tammy Faye, a TV evangelist who found fame among religious communities with The PTL Club, a show she presented with her husband Jim Bakker in the 1970s.

It wasn’t until Bakker was found guilty of numerous fraud charges in 1989 that the couple became more widely known.

Following this, Faye was cast aside by critics. In an interview with People, Chastain said: “People were always making her into a clown and punishing her for the mistakes of her husband, which all throughout history women have been the victim of, atoning for the sins of men.”

For the new film, which is titled The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Chastain has transformed into the TV star – a process that took her four hours every day.

Speaking of her look in the film, the actor said: “I have a dimple in my chin that she didn’t have, so we would seal that up. Her face was more round than mine, so I would have things on my cheeks.”

Andrew Garfield is more recognisable in his role of Bakker – you can see the pair in character below.

Andrew Garfield and Jessica Chastain in ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ (Searchlight Pictures)

Faye died of cancer in 2007. The film, based on the documentary of the same name, will be released in September 2021.

It is being directed by Michael Showalter (The Big Sick) and co-stars Cherry Jones and Vincent D’Onofrio.