Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes, France
Jessica Chastain attends the "Ismael's Ghosts (Les Fantomes d'Ismael)" screening and Opening Gala during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 17, 2017, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Ki Price)
School period
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Jessica Chastain, childhood photo
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
Jessica Chastain, childhood photo
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
Jessica Chastain, childhood photo
College/University
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Young Jessica Chastain
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
Young Jessica Chastain
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Young Jessica Chastain
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Young Jessica Chastain
Career
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2011
Reitman Square, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5, Canada
Jessica Chastain and Bryce Dallas Howard arrive at Sony Pictures Classics 20th Anniversary Party at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2011, in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Sonia Recchia)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2014
Cannes, France
Jessica Chastain attends the "Foxcatcher" premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2014, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2016
Cannes, France
Jessica Chastain attends the Vanity Fair And Chanel Dinner during The 69th Cannes Film Festival at Restaurant Tetou on May 12, 2016, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Ian Gavan)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2016
8715 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA
Octavia Spencer (L) and Jessica Chastain attend the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and InStyle celebrate the 2017 Golden Globe Award Season at Catch LA on November 10, 2016, in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2017
Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes, France
Jessica Chastain attends the "Ismael's Ghosts (Les Fantomes d'Ismael)" screening and Opening Gala during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 17, 2017, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Ki Price)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2017
167-165 Boulevard J. F. Kennedy, 06160 Antibes, France
Jessica Chastain attends the amfAR Gala Cannes 2017 at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 25, 2017, in Cap d'Antibes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2017
Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes, France
Jessica Chastain attends the Closing Ceremony of the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 28, 2017, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Matthias Nareyek)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2017
60 Simcoe St, Toronto, ON M5J 2H5, Canada
Jessica Chastain attends the 'Woman Walks Ahead' premiere during the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 10, 2017, in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Rich Fury)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2017
300 Doheny Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
Jessica Chastain attends ELLE's 24th Annual Women in Hollywood Celebration presented by L'Oreal Paris, Real Is Rare, Real Is A Diamond and CALVIN KLEIN at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on October 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Neilson Barnard)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2017
Taipei, Taiwan of China
Jessica Chastain poses on the red carpet for the 54th Golden Horse Awards ceremony on November 25, 2017, in Taipei, Taiwan of China. (Photo by Visual China Group)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2018
277 N Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
Jessica Chastain attends the 29th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala at Palm Springs Convention Center on January 2, 2018, in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Rich Fury)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2018
Beverly Hills, California, USA
Jessica Chastain poses for a portrait at the BAFTA Los Angeles Tea Party on January 6, 2018, in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Rich Fury)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2018
Sydney, Australia
Jessica Chastain poses during a photocall for 'Molly's Game' on January 29, 2018, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Don Arnold)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2018
Cannes, France
(L-R) Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong'o, and Fan Bingbing at the '355' cocktail party, with DIRECTV and The Hollywood Reporter on the Grey Goose Terrace on May 10, 2018, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2018
Cannes, France
Jessica Chastain at the '355' cocktail party, with DIRECTV and The Hollywood Reporter on the Grey Goose Terrace on May 10, 2018, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2018
9 Avenue d'Iéna, 75016 Paris, France
Jessica Chastain attends the Piaget Sunlight Escape Paris 2018 High Jewellery Collection Party at Palais d'Iena on June 18, 2018, in Paris, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2018
40 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France
Jessica Chastain attends the Christmas decorations inauguration at Galeries Lafayette on November 7, 2018, in Paris, France. (Photo by Dominique Charriau)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2018
9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, USA
(L-R) Actresses Natalie Portman, Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer, and America Ferrera arrive at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Christopher Polk)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2019
Jessica Chastain on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 - (Photo by Nathan Congleton)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2019
Platz der Luftbrücke 5, 12101 Berlin, Germany
Jessica Chastain attends the Goldene Kamera at Tempelhof Airport on March 30, 2019, in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Christian Marquardt)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2019
3570 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA
Jessica Chastain attends Warner Bros. Pictures "The Big Picture" exclusive presentation during CinemaCon at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 02, 2019, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
2019
9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, USA
Jessica Chastain attends the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 6, 2019, in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison)
Gallery of Jessica Chastain
6840 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA
Jessica Chastain is seen at 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' on January 03, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by RB)
Achievements
Membership
We Do It Together
Awards
Screen Actors Guild Award
2012
665 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA
Jessica Chastain poses in the press room with her award for Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture for 'The Help' during the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 29, 2012, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt)
Critics' Choice Movie Award
2013
3021 Airport Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90405, USA
Jessica Chastain accepts the Best Actress Award for "Zero Dark Thirty" onstage at the 18th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards held at Barker Hangar on January 10, 2013, in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter)
Golden Globe Award
2013
9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, USA
Jessica Chastain poses in the press room at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 13, 2013, in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz)
Deauville American Film Festival Award
2014
Deauville, France
Jessica Chastain receives a tribute during the opening ceremony of the 40th Deauville American Film Festival on September 5, 2014, in Deauville, France. (Photo by Francois Durand)
Palm Springs International Film Festival Award
2018
277 N Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
Jessica Chastain, winner of the Chairman's Award attends the 29th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala at Palm Springs Convention Center on January 2, 2018, in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison)
Reitman Square, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5, Canada
Jessica Chastain and Bryce Dallas Howard arrive at Sony Pictures Classics 20th Anniversary Party at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2011, in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Sonia Recchia)
Jessica Chastain poses in the press room with her award for Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture for 'The Help' during the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 29, 2012, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt)
Jessica Chastain accepts the Best Actress Award for "Zero Dark Thirty" onstage at the 18th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards held at Barker Hangar on January 10, 2013, in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter)
Jessica Chastain poses in the press room at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 13, 2013, in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz)
Jessica Chastain receives a tribute during the opening ceremony of the 40th Deauville American Film Festival on September 5, 2014, in Deauville, France. (Photo by Francois Durand)
Jessica Chastain attends the "Foxcatcher" premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2014, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole)
Jessica Chastain attends the Vanity Fair And Chanel Dinner during The 69th Cannes Film Festival at Restaurant Tetou on May 12, 2016, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Ian Gavan)
Octavia Spencer (L) and Jessica Chastain attend the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and InStyle celebrate the 2017 Golden Globe Award Season at Catch LA on November 10, 2016, in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer)
Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, 1 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes, France
Jessica Chastain attends the Closing Ceremony of the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 28, 2017, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Matthias Nareyek)
Jessica Chastain attends the 'Woman Walks Ahead' premiere during the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 10, 2017, in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Rich Fury)
Jessica Chastain attends ELLE's 24th Annual Women in Hollywood Celebration presented by L'Oreal Paris, Real Is Rare, Real Is A Diamond and CALVIN KLEIN at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on October 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Neilson Barnard)
Jessica Chastain poses on the red carpet for the 54th Golden Horse Awards ceremony on November 25, 2017, in Taipei, Taiwan of China. (Photo by Visual China Group)
277 N Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
Jessica Chastain, winner of the Chairman's Award attends the 29th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala at Palm Springs Convention Center on January 2, 2018, in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison)
277 N Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
Jessica Chastain attends the 29th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala at Palm Springs Convention Center on January 2, 2018, in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Rich Fury)
(L-R) Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong'o, and Fan Bingbing at the '355' cocktail party, with DIRECTV and The Hollywood Reporter on the Grey Goose Terrace on May 10, 2018, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt)
Jessica Chastain at the '355' cocktail party, with DIRECTV and The Hollywood Reporter on the Grey Goose Terrace on May 10, 2018, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt)
Jessica Chastain attends the Piaget Sunlight Escape Paris 2018 High Jewellery Collection Party at Palais d'Iena on June 18, 2018, in Paris, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale)
Jessica Chastain attends the Christmas decorations inauguration at Galeries Lafayette on November 7, 2018, in Paris, France. (Photo by Dominique Charriau)
(L-R) Actresses Natalie Portman, Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer, and America Ferrera arrive at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018. (Photo by Christopher Polk)
Jessica Chastain attends Warner Bros. Pictures "The Big Picture" exclusive presentation during CinemaCon at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 02, 2019, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg)
Jessica Chastain attends the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 6, 2019, in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison)
Jessica Chastain is seen at 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' on January 03, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by RB)
Connections
Friend: Octavia Spencer
2012
613 E 400 S Suite D, Salt Lake City, UT 84102, Utah
Octavia Spencer poses for a portrait during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival at the Getty Images Portrait Studio at T-Mobile Village at the Lift on January 22, 2012 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
colleague: James McAvoy
2014
Belvedere Rd, Lambeth, London SE1 8XT, United Kingdom
James McAvoy attends the BFI London Film Festival Awards during the 58th BFI London Film Festival on October 18, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for BFI)
(A teenage orphan (Jessica Chastain) spends ten years trav...)
A teenage orphan (Jessica Chastain) spends ten years traveling cross-country experiencing life, love, and heartbreak. Based on E.L. Doctorow's story, "Jolene: A Life."
(Helen Mirren and Tom Wilkinson star in this riveting susp...)
Helen Mirren and Tom Wilkinson star in this riveting suspense thriller that Scott Mantz of Access Hollywood calls "gripping, smart and unforgettable! A must-see!"
(Following his acclaimed debut, Shotgun Stories, writer/di...)
Following his acclaimed debut, Shotgun Stories, writer/director Jeff Nichols reteams with actor Michael Shannon to create a haunting tale that will creep under your skin and expose your darkest fears. Curtis LaForche lives in a small town in Ohio with his wife, Samantha, and daughter, Hannah, a six-year-old deaf girl.
(Ralph Fiennes directs and stars in this dramatic thriller...)
Ralph Fiennes directs and stars in this dramatic thriller about the revered and feared General Coriolanus' revenge on the city of Rome following his banishment.
(O'Brien recalls a lesson taught to her that people must c...)
O'Brien recalls a lesson taught to her that people must choose to follow either the path of grace or the path of nature. In the 1960s or thereabouts, she receives a telegram informing her of the death of her son, R.L., aged nineteen.
(In the 1960's Mississippi, a young journalist roils her c...)
In the 1960's Mississippi, a young journalist roils her community when she interviews the domestic staffs who serve the town's wealthy white families but have remained largely invisible until now. Emma Stone, Viola Davis, and Jessica Chastain star.
(Al Pacino and Jessica Chastain star in the Biblical story...)
Al Pacino and Jessica Chastain star in the Biblical story of Salomé, a girl who agrees to perform the dance of the seven veils in return for John the Baptist's head on a silver platter.
(In the Texas bayous, a local homicide detective (Worthing...)
In the Texas bayous, a local homicide detective (Worthington) teams up with a cop from New York City (Morgan) to investigate a series of unsolved murders.
(Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria find themselves on the run...)
Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria find themselves on the run through Europe in this wildly entertaining and outrageous comedic adventure that film critics are calling "charming and very funny!"
(Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, and Jessica Chastain star in thi...)
Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, and Jessica Chastain star in this adaptation of "The Wettest County in the World." A bootlegging gang makes a run for the American Dream during Prohibition.
(James Franco, Mila Kunis, Jessica Chastain, and Zach Braf...)
James Franco, Mila Kunis, Jessica Chastain, and Zach Braff star in this tale of an artist struggling to reconcile his past. Based on the life of Pulitzer Prize-winner C.K. Williams.
(Guillermo del Toro, creator of Pan's Labyrinth, presents ...)
Guillermo del Toro, creator of Pan's Labyrinth, presents this supernatural thriller starring Jessica Chastain about two girls found five years after disappearing into the woods.
(Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy dazzle in this drama ha...)
Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy dazzle in this drama hailed as "one of the most romantic love stories ever." A married couple torn apart by tragedy tries to reclaim the life they once shared.
(Academy Award nominee* Jessica Chastain (Molly's Game) an...)
Academy Award nominee* Jessica Chastain (Molly's Game) and Golden Globe winner Collin Farrell (True Detective) heat up the screen in a searing tale of power and seduction.
(From director Christopher Nolan (Inception) comes the sto...)
From director Christopher Nolan (Inception) comes the story of ex-pilot Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), who must leave his family and Earth behind to lead an expedition beyond this galaxy to discover whether mankind has a future among the stars.
(A thriller set in NYC during 1981, the film follows the l...)
A thriller set in NYC during 1981, the film follows the lives of an immigrant (Oscar Isaac) and his family trying to expand their business as the rampant violence and corruption drag them in and threaten to destroy all they have built.
(From legendary director Ridley Scott (Alien, Prometheus) ...)
From legendary director Ridley Scott (Alien, Prometheus) comes a gripping tale of human strength and the will to survive, starring Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on Mars.
(From director Guillermo del Toro comes a supernatural mys...)
From director Guillermo del Toro comes a supernatural mystery. Between desire and darkness, between mystery and madness, lies the truth behind Crimson Peak.
(Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron return in the second ...)
Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron return in the second installment of this fantastical epic action-adventure in which they are joined by Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain.
(In the high-stakes world of political power-brokers, Eliz...)
In the high-stakes world of political power-brokers, Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain) is the most sought after and formidable lobbyist in D.C. Known equally for her cunning and her track record of success, she has always done whatever is required to win. But when she takes on the most powerful opponent of her career, she finds that winning may come at too high a price.
(Narrated by Academy-Award nominee, Jessica Chastain, this...)
Narrated by Academy-Award nominee, Jessica Chastain, this documentary chronicles the epic battle that several American mothers are waging on behalf of their middle-school daughters, victims of sex-trafficking on Backpage, the adult classifieds section that for years was part of the Village Voice.
(Molly's Game is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, a...)
Molly's Game is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Her only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey, who learned that there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led us to believe.
(Based on a true story, this riveting western follows a he...)
Based on a true story, this riveting western follows a headstrong New York widow (Jessica Chastain) as she journeys west to meet Sioux chief Sitting Bull, facing off with an army officer (Sam Rockwell) intent on war with Native Americans.
(When Jean Grey is struck by a mysterious cosmic force tha...)
When Jean Grey is struck by a mysterious cosmic force that transforms her into the iconic Dark Phoenix, the X-Men must unite to face their most devastating enemy yet - one of their own.
(In the Golden Age of Piracy, at the dawn of the 18th cent...)
In the Golden Age of Piracy, at the dawn of the 18th century, Blackbeard stood out among the lawless rogues as the most fearsome and notorious seafarer of them all. He killed for the reputation, and his reputation has become a legend. Now, for the first time, comes the true story of pirate Edward Teach, the man who terrorized the seas.
Jessica Chastain is an American award-winning actress who has gained widespread attention in 2011 for her work in The Help, Tree of Life and Zero Dark Thirty. She has been nominated for two Oscars and is the winner of one Golden Globe Award.
Background
Ethnicity:
Jessica Chastain is of French, Dutch, English, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish descent.
Jessica Chastain was born on March 24, 1977, in Sacramento, California, the United States, to Jerri Renee Hastey (née Chastain) and rock musician Michael Monasterio, and was raised in a middle-class household in a northern California suburb. Her parents were teenagers when she was born. She has two sisters and two brothers. Her sister Juliet died by suicide in 2003 following years of drug abuse.
Chastain was raised by her mother and stepfather. Her mother, Jerri Chastain, is a vegan chef whose family is originally from Kansas, and her stepfather is a fireman. She is estranged from her biological father and his name is not on her birth certificate. She has said that her stepfather was the first person to make her feel secure.
She shares a close bond with her maternal grandmother, Marilyn, whom she credits as someone who "always believed in me". It was her grandmother, who sparked her passion for acting by taking her, aged seven, to see David Cassidy in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. "There was a 10-year-old girl on stage as the narrator," she recalled later. "And as soon as I saw the girl… I just knew it was what I was going to do."
Education
As a student at the El Camino Fundamental High School in Sacramento, Chastain struggled academically. She was a loner and considered herself a misfit in school, eventually finding an outlet in the performing arts. She was regular in school plays and local productions of The Bard’s text throughout the city and surrounding area.
With too many absences during her senior year in school, Chastain did not qualify for graduation but eventually obtained an adult diploma. She later attended Sacramento City College from 1996 to 1997, during which she was a member of the institution’s debate team. Jessica was the first member of her family to attend college.
Chastain began taking dance lessons at the age of nine and by age 13, had been chosen as a member of a dance troupe. At the urging of another actor in Romeo and Juliet, Chastain applied to the Juilliard School in New York City and was accepted, assisted by the help of a scholarship established by Juilliard alum Robin Williams, and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2003.
During her last year at Juilliard, Chastain signed a contract with television producer John Wells to appear on some of his shows, including ER. He liked what he saw and signed her to a new 12-month holding contract, in the hopes of finding a place for her in his upcoming shows. Chastain padded her resume with a guest role on the mystery series Veronica Mars featuring Kristen Bell, and a recurring role in Law and Order: Trial by Jury.
After completing her Juilliard studies in 2003, Chastain continued to display her unabashed love of the theater on stage, while also beginning new pursuits in screen acting. Where the former was concerned, she spent 2004 in a trio of plays, including the Off-Broadway play Where Do We Live, and the Williamstown production of The Cherry Orchard in which she shared the stage with Michelle Williams.
Her first movie role came in 2005 for a TV movie adaptation of Dark Shadows, named Blackbird. It was a Hallmark production, filmed in Thailand. Then she returned to stage in what proved to be her biggest career break: playing opposite Al Pacino at the Wadsworth Theatre in Los Angeles, she and the acting legend brought to life Oscar Wilde’s controversial play Salome, to a receptive audience.
Beginning in 2008, Chastain started to focus her efforts on big-screen roles. Jessica continued working in film productions, and following a role opposite Jon Hamm and Josh Lucas in the crime thriller Stolen, which had a small release during 2008-2009 for additional expose, and then she teamed up with Oscar-nominated director John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) and Aussie-hunk Sam Worthington for The Debt, another thriller about a politically charged WWII assassination and it’s suspicious aftermath. Also in 2009 she also was cast in the directorial debut of Ralph Fiennes and Gerrard Butler in the intense drama Coriolanus.
In 2010, while she was back to the stage for Othello, she was announced at Ami Canaan Mann’s The Texas Killing Fields, once again with Sam Worthington. Sam was so impressed by Jessica’s performance in The Debt that suggested her to be cast as his estranged wife. Until that time, her only major work available to be seen was still Jolene - which was the one Mann get to watch her acting.
Still in 2010, Chastain was announced in three new productions: Jeff Nichols’ Take Shelter, which sat down with Terrence Malick in order to know a little more about Jessica, The Help and Murder on the Orient Express on PBS, which ran on July 11.
The year 2011 started well for the actress with the cult hit Take Shelter (for which she received a variety of accolades). While that film was quietly successful, Jessica Chastain didn’t stay under the radar for long, as 2011 turned out to be the year that she broke through into the mainstream.
After Chastain starred with Pacino in Wilde Salome, he recommended her to director Terrence Malick for a role in the upcoming Tree of Life. Chastain got the part, playing a grief-stricken wife opposite Brad Pitt. The production began in 2007 but didn’t earn a theatrical release until 2011.
The first third of 2011 came to open the gates to the public to know Jessica Chastain. Take Shelter was seen in Sundance Festival and Coriolanus was shown at the Berlin Film Festival. But in May, with Cannes Film Festival, she got her major exposure, when The Tree of Life was seen (and won the Palme d’Or) and Take Shelter won the Grand Prize in Critics Week Competition.
Chastain followed up 2011 with several new films, including Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012) and Zero Dark Thirty (2012), a film directed by Kathryn Bigelow about the hunt for Osama bin Laden. For her performance in Zero Dark Thirty as a real-life CIA operative, Chastain received the 2013 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Movie Drama as well as an Academy Award nomination.
In 2014 Chastain starred in the relationship drama The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby with James McAvoy, and portrayed a scientist in the Christopher Nolan sci-fi epic Interstellar. Other film projects for the year included Miss Julie and A Most Violent Year, for which Chastain earned another Golden Globe nomination. Chastain was then seen in 2015 as an astronaut commander opposite Matt Damon in The Martian while also co-starring in the visually arresting horror flick Crimson Peak.
In 2016 Chastain appeared in the fantasy adventure film The Huntsman: Winter's War, a sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), co-starring with Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron. She also starred in the 2016 political thriller Miss Sloane, portraying a conservative lobbyist who takes on the gun lobby in Washington D.C. Chastain earned a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of the title role.
In 2017 Chastain portrayed Antonina Zabinskini in The Zookeeper's Wife, a movie based on the true story of a husband-and-wife team that sheltered 300 Jews in the Warsaw Zoo during the Holocaust. That year, the actress earned a Golden Globe nomination for her part in another unusual true story, Molly's Game, about an elite skier who began running the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game. In 2018 she starred in the biographical period drama Woman Walks Ahead, portraying portrait painter Caroline Weldon who seeks to meet and paint Lakota hero Sitting Bull.
In 2018, she hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live and voiced the virtual reality production Spheres: Songs of Spacetime. She had filmed a part in Xavier Dolan's ensemble drama The Death & Life of John F. Donovan, but her role was cut during post-production as Dolan found her character to be incompatible to the story. Chastain next agreed to play an evil alien in the superhero film Dark Phoenix (2019), which marked the twelfth installment in the X-Men film series, due to its focus on female characters. The critic Peter Bradshaw considered it to be "a waste of her talents", and the film registered poor box office returns.
Chastain will next play the adult Beverly Marsh in a sequel to the 2017 horror film It, entitled It: Chapter Two, based on Stephen King's novel, sharing the role with Sophia Lillis. She will then star in and produce the action film Eve, penned and initially scheduled to be directed by Matthew Newton, who has a history of alleged domestic violence. Following criticism against her for choosing to work with him, Newton was replaced by Tate Taylor. Alongside actresses including Penélope Cruz and Lupita Nyong'o, Chastain pitched the idea for a female-led spy film named 355 to prospective buyers at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Also as a producer, she will reunite with Octavia Spencer in a comedy film, for which she negotiated a higher salary for Spencer. Among her other acting commitments, she will feature alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in a Netflix film adaption of the 2016 video game Tom Clancy's The Division, portray the country singer Tammy Wynette opposite Josh Brolin's George Jones in the biopic George and Tammy, and star with Andrew Garfield as the televangelists Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker, respectively, in The Eyes of Tammy Faye.
(In the Golden Age of Piracy, at the dawn of the 18th cent...)
2006
Religion
Chastain stated in an interview: "I’m not a religious person and I don’t understand a lot of it."
Politics
Chastain expressed her opinion on nowaday's politics and Trump's election saying: "I'm so tired of creepy guys in politics. Don't grab women by their genitals. Be a decent human."
She supported Hillary Clinton during the 2016 US presidential election. She tweeted: "Waking this morning felt extra sweet. First time I understand what men have felt since the birth of this nation." Chastain clarified it for one of her followers by tweeting, "[It's] the first time in my life that a candidate is running that understands what it is to be a woman in the US #glassceiling."
Views
In 2003, Chastain's 24-year-old sister Juliet committed suicide, a personal tragedy that inspired the actress to devote herself to promoting awareness about depression and mental health. She supports various charitable causes including To Write Love on Her Arms, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people who are struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide.
Chastain is a feminist and has often spoken against the discrimination faced by women and minorities in Hollywood. She wrote an opinion column on gender imbalance in the industry for a December 2015 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Chastain, who launched the female-led Freckle Films in 2016, is among the most outspoken advocates for equal rights in Hollywood. When news surfaced that Michelle Williams had made a fraction of the pay given to co-star Mark Wahlberg for the reshoot of All the Money in the World (2017), Chastain helped call attention to the disparity (Wahlberg later donated his salary to the Time's Up legal defense fund). In 2018, she collaborated with 300 women in Hollywood to set up the Time's Up initiative to protect women from harassment and discrimination. Later, her former The Help co-star Octavia Spencer revealed that Chastain insisted they receive equal pay when pitching a project together, resulting in Spencer receiving five times her usual salary.
Chastain is an animal lover and has adopted a rescue dog. She was a pescatarian for much of her life, but following health troubles, she began practicing veganism.
In 2013, Chastain lent her support to the Got Your 6 campaign, to help empower veterans of the United States Army, and in 2016, she became an advisory board member to the organization We Do It Together, which produces films and television shows to promote the empowerment of women. Chastain has campaigned for access to affordable reproductive health care for women, and in 2017, Variety honored her for her work with the Planned Parenthood organization.
Quotations:
"If you get $100 or $1,000, you are still going to spend it. You'll just end up spending the $1,000 on a nicer house or whatever and then you'll have to keep the money at that level to sustain your lifestyle. But if you keep it at the $100 lifestyle, then you're fine. You can choose the job for the creativity and the challenges of the characters rather than the money."
"It's tough, acting. You have to walk two lines of a tightrope. There's the all-consuming fear of failure: I'm about to fall flat on my face. There's that and there's also confidence - you have to be confident in order to try things - and they fight each other all the time."
"The most important thing in my life and the thing I try to focus on is to try not to live a life of cruelty. That means trying to make sure I look people in the eye when I meet them. Sometimes you jump in a taxi, or maybe you only have two minutes with someone, and you never see them again. I try to always look them in the eye and have a real experience of what it is to communicate with someone."
"I'm always going to do both theater and film, always. I love theater and I love the ensemble feeling of it. I love the community. I love being in New York. I love the idea of finishing a show and then seeing people from other shows and then all leaving for a late-night dinner."
"Every character I play I feel is like a woman I got to meet and learn from getting to hang out with. I see them as their own people. So I think I take something away from everything."
Membership
We Do It Together
Personality
Despite the significant media attention, Chastain remains guarded about her personal life and chooses not to attend red carpet events with a partner. She considers herself to be a "shy" person, and in 2011 said that she enjoys domestic routines like dog-walking and playing the ukulele, rather than partying. She has cited the actress Isabelle Huppert as an influence, for managing a family, while also playing "out-there roles" in film.
Physical Characteristics:
During a July 2019 interview, Jessica Chastain said that she often gets mistaken for fellow actress Bryce Dallas Howard. Chastain told a story about a time when Chastain herself mistook a magazine photo of Howard for one of Chastain, and another story about a time when she (Chastain) saw Bryce's father, Ron Howard, in a store and he momentarily mistook her for his daughter.
Interests
Playing the ukulele
Philosophers & Thinkers
Martin Luther King Jr.
Politicians
Hillary Clinton
Writers
William Shakespeare
Artists
Amy Sherald
Sport & Clubs
running, yoga, tennis
Athletes
Maria Sharapova
Music & Bands
Radiohead, The Flaming Lips
Connections
In the 2000s, Chastain was in a long-term relationship with writer-director Ned Benson that ended in 2010. In 2012, she began dating Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo, an Italian count of the Passi de Preposulo noble family, who is an executive for the fashion brand Moncler. On June 10, 2017, she married Preposulo at his family's estate in Carbonera, Italy. In 2018, the couple had a daughter through surrogacy. They live in New York City.