Miranda Lambert Wooed Jessica Chastain With ‘Bourbon in a Red Solo Cup’

The 2022 CMA Awards were held on November 9, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. Hosted by country music star Luke Bryan and NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, the night was eventful as the genre’s biggest stars gathered to perform songs and collect new hardware.

With all the excitement throughout the evening, country music star Miranda Lambert stole the spotlight both on stage and behind the scenes. One guest particularly star-struck by Lambert was Oscar-winning actor Jessica Chastain. Find out more about the famous duo’s interaction: 

Jessica Chastain was star-struck by Miranda Lambert at the 2022 CMA Awards 

During the 2022 CMA Awards, Miranda Lambert made a memorable first impression on Jessica Chastain. Of their first encounter, Chastain told Whiskey Riff that Lambert immediately handed her “bourbon in a red solo cup.” With the country star having produced songs like “Drunk,” “Tequila Does,” and “Smokin’ and Drinkin’,” it’s a gesture that’s very much on brand for Lambert. 

Along with her undeniable charm, Lambert’s simple gesture instantly won over Chastain. According to Audacy, when Chastain was asked in a recent interview who she would invite to her dream dinner party, Lambert was at the top of the guest list.

During the conversation, Chastain revealed, “I met Miranda Lambert at the CMAs, and she offered me bourbon in a Red Solo cup, and I’m obsessed with her. She’d be a fun addition to the party. It has to be people that are going to bring it, you know?”

Jessica Chastain goes country as Tammy Wynette in ‘George & Tammy’  

While Lambert has been a staple in the country music scene since 2005, Chastain is just getting her feet wet. However, the country music world has given Chastain a warm welcome since securing her role as Tammy Wynette in the new Showtime series George & Tammy. Of course, the show depicts the relationship between the two country music legends, George Jones and Tammy Wynette. 

Together, Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn helped usher in a woman’s perspective into the male-dominated country music scene in the 1960s. Wynette’s signature song, “Stand by Your Man,” was released in 1968. The song gained criticism and praise for portraying a woman’s blind loyalty to her husband.

In 1969, Wynette married her third husband and fellow country star George Jones. This union was also the third marriage for Jones. The duo had a rocky six-year marriage due to Jones’s alcoholism and erratic behavior, which can be seen depicted in the new Showtime series. 

Miranda Lambert’s CMA Awards 2022 recap

Along with wowing Chastain, Lambert had an eventful CMA Awards herself. According to Billboard, the singer was nominated for a CMA Award in two categories: Entertainer of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year. Ultimately, the Entertainer of the Year award was presented to Luke Combs, and Lainey Wilson was named Female Vocalist of the Year.

While Lambert didn’t take home any hardware at the CMA Awards, she brought the house down with her performance of “Geraldene” at the ceremony. The song, from Lambert’s 10th studio album Palomino, references Dolly Parton’s iconic “Jolene.” Lambert sings the lyrics in the song, “You’re trailer park pretty, but you’re never gonna be Jolene.” This alludes to the idea that Geraldene wishes she could be Jolene, but she will never be that cute.  

So, while Lambert couldn’t take any new hardware home from the CMA Awards, it seems that she made a new friend out of the night.