Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain

Born 1977-03-24 (age 49) Southern California, California, USA
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Biography

Jessica Michelle Chastain (born March 24, 1977) is an American actress and film producer. Known for her roles in films with feminist themes, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for two British Academy Film Awards. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012.

Born and raised in Sacramento, California, Chastain developed an interest in acting from an early age. In 1998, she made her professional stage debut as Shakespeare's Juliet. After studying acting at the Juilliard School, she was signed to a talent holding deal with the television producer John Wells. She was a recurring guest star in several television series, including Law & Order: Trial by Jury. She also took on roles in the stage productions of Anton Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard in 2004 and Oscar Wilde's tragedy Salome in 2006.

Chastain made her film debut in the drama Jolene (2008), and gained wide recognition for her starring roles in the dramas Take Shelter (2011) and The Tree of Life (2011). Her performance as an aspiring socialite in The Help (2011) earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2012, she won a Golden Globe Award and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress for playing a CIA analyst in the thriller Zero Dark Thirty. Chastain made her Broadway debut in a revival of The Heiress in the same year. Her highest-grossing releases came with the science fiction films Interstellar (2014) and The Martian (2015), and the horror film It Chapter Two (2019), and she continued to receive critical acclaim for her performances in the dramas A Most Violent Year (2014), Miss Sloane (2016), Molly's Game (2017) and The Good Nurse (2022). For her portrayal of Tammy Faye in the biopic The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021), which she also produced, Chastain won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

In television, Chastain starred in drama miniseries Scenes from a Marriage (2021) and George & Tammy (2022). For the latter, she won a SAG Award. Her performance also garnered her nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

Chastain is the founder of the production company Freckle Films, which was created to promote diversity in film. She is vocal about mental health issues, as well as gender and racial equality. She is married to fashion executive Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo, with whom she has two children.

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Known For

Interstellar
Interstellar

2014

as Murph

The Martian
The Martian

2015

as Melissa Lewis

It Chapter Two
It Chapter Two

2019

as Beverly Marsh

The Help
The Help

2011

as Celia Foote

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
Dark Phoenix
Dark Phoenix

2019

as Vuk

Dreams
Dreams

2025

as Jennifer McCarthy

The Huntsman: Winter's War
Mama
Mama

2013

as Annabel

Zero Dark Thirty
Zero Dark Thirty

2012

as Maya

Lawless
Lawless

2012

as Maggie Beauford

The 355
The 355

2022

as Mason 'Mace' Brown

Mothers' Instinct
Mothers' Instinct

2024

as Alice

Crimson Peak
Crimson Peak

2015

as Lady Lucille Sharpe

The Tree of Life
The Tree of Life

2011

as Mrs. O'Brien

Molly's Game
Molly's Game

2017

as Molly Bloom

Ava
Ava

2020

as Ava

Miss Sloane
Miss Sloane

2016

as Madeline Elizabeth Sloane

Coriolanus
Coriolanus

2011

as Virgilia

Unity
Unity

2015

as Narrator (voice)