It’s been a complete whirlwind of a ride for Jessica Chastain in the last decade. Two personal Oscar nominations, a marriage and having her first child with her husband. But nothing has helped keep her feet on the ground more than her saying that she remembers how fortunate she is to be where she has gotten – regardless of the speed with which it has happened – every day of her life.
After her first television appearance in the long-running drama “ER,” the Sacramento native had bit-parts in a host of programs such as “Veronica Mars,” “Law & Order” and the mini-series “Blackbeard.” Then, in 2011 came her successful audition for the role of Mrs. O’Brien in the Terrence Malick film The Tree of Life, with big-hitters Brad Pitt and Sean Penn.
It came after Al Pacino recommended her to Malick after he had handpicked her to play opposite him in Wilde Salomé, which was Chastain’s big debut to the film world. In 2012, came the two Academy Awards nods for her performances in The Help with Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer (who picked up the Oscar) and also in Zero Dark Thirty, alongside Joel Edgerton and Chris Pratt.
The most prominent directors have all wanted the redhead in their movies, with appearances in Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak, Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar and Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Andy Weir novel, The Martian.
Franchises have since followed, including Marvel’s Dark Phoenix and in September this year, in It: Chapter Two. Chastain stars in one of the most anticipated movie sequels in recent times, as the adult Beverley Marsh back in the sleepy town of Derry, set 27 years after the first rendition of It. Evil clown Pennywise returns to torment the grown-up members of the Losers’ Club, who have long since drifted apart from one another.
STRIPLV: So, James McAvoy told us that there were some freaky things going on during the filming of It: Chapter Two. He even went as far as saying that what he saw on set gave him nightmares. CHASTAIN: Mac Attack told you that? Wow. STRIPLV: What was your take on shooting? CHASTAIN: Well, we were filming in some very scary sewers, and although they weren’t real and they were built, the water was real, and that was disgusting. You show up for the day’s filming to be told that you will be in that water all day, every day for two weeks and sometimes I was completely submerged. They tell you that the water is 80 degrees and you get into the water, and it’s about 50. STRIPLV: Who do you think is scarier, Dark Phoenix, or Pennywise? James McAvoy said that because Dark Phoenix is both good and bad, that could tip the balance because of the dynamics. CHASTAIN: Really? Pennywise for me. He is evil, and he eats children. (Laughs) How can you even compare the two? I play the grown-up Beverley Marsh, and we fight Pennywise a little bit, you know fighting killer clowns, as you do. But Beverley’s character is such an interesting character to play because her real nightmare was at home. So, a killer clown isn’t as scary as it is to the boys. STRIPLV: How do you feel about scary films? CHASTAIN: I love scary movies and I have done three scary films – Crimson Peak, Mama and now It. I find that the female characters in them are so good, and by the way, they are usually the ones at the end who survive. We face the monsters and we live at the end. But it’s more fun when you are the one doing the scaring than the one being scared. STRIPLV: How does it feel when you get to star in a story written by Stephen King? CHASTAIN: Well, it’s incredible that this is my life, and I have thought that every day since 2011, when my first film came out. I cannot believe that this is something which I get to do with my life. I can’t believe that is a dream that I had as a little girl and now here I am, every day, living it. There is nothing that anyone can say which will take anything away from that, but I am still in shock about it. I hope that will always be the case because then that way, I will always appreciate it. STRIPLV: How about the Ralph Lauren campaign you have been involved in, entitled: “Lead Like a Woman.” CHASTAIN: I am really happy about that partnership because it really coincides with everything that I have ever talked about. It is more than just about a fragrance, it’s about women’s empowerment and also advocating for women in leadership positions, and that is something which is super-important to me. “Lead Like a Woman” tackles what it means to be intense and we get rid of the negative stereotype comments about people saying that some women are so intense. For me, to be intense is what it means to be fully in your life. We are intensely passionate, intensely ambitious, intensely empathetic and they are all good things, and we are trying to get rid of that negative stereotype. STRIPLV: You’re known for playing so many courageous and strong-willed women in your film roles. Do you actively seek out these kinds of characters? CHASTAIN: I do now. I want to be able to play characters that will represent women as leaders and fighters. For too long women have not been given the place that we deserve in terms of our contribution to society and our role in history. We also need to be shown in many different lights – as caring and loving individuals in addition to being intelligent and creative. I get tremendous satisfaction from playing women who push the envelope and fight for their place and recognition in society. We need to keep telling those kinds of stories to inspire young women to aspire to great things. STRIPLV: In your way, do you want to inspire other women by helping make films and playing characters that tell compelling female-driven stories? CHASTAIN: It’s not my intention to preach or lecture anyone. But I do feel an obligation to contribute something to society and to create or be part of projects that create discussion. I feel very fortunate to be where I am and to be in a position where I can get certain kinds of films made and I really hope to be able to inspire people and generate conversation about many different issues. I also believe in the need to speak up when necessary, and I want to participate as much as I can in helping raise awareness and defend people’s rights. STRIPLV: You’ve been in a very privileged position, for several years now, to be playing so many interesting female characters at a time when women are clamoring for greater participation in the film industry. CHASTAIN: I’ve been very lucky. I have always had the opportunity to play interesting women and to be directed by great male directors and female directors. I don’t think there is any difference between men and women behind the camera, nor does the skill required have anything to do with one’s sex. Everyone in the business knows that Kathryn Bigelow, who I did Zero Dark Thirty with, is one of the best directors around and no one would even think of adding: “And she’s a woman.” It’s not an issue. The same goes for Liv Ullmann (who directed Chastain in Miss Julie) who is so extraordinary and creative. As someone who enjoys watching movies a lot, I feel that there is definitely a need for a greater presence of women in the movies. There should be many more stories revolving around women, and certainly, films need to give a greater place to women than they do now, particularly in Hollywood, where male stories are very dominant. We need more diversity in our business. STRIPLV: What was it about Dark Phoenix that made you want to appear for the first time in an X-Men film? CHASTAIN: The thing that made me want to join Dark Phoenix and to be in this film is that the first time it was made that it was a secondary storyline, and I liked that the focus was on Jean Grey her journey in discovering her Dark Phoenix power. I was excited to be part of this film because I wanted to work with Simon Kinberg, who is a friend of mine. I love working with first-time filmmakers and directors, so that was going to be a big thing being on the set with all this joyous energy of someone who gets to do it for the first time. And then I just loved the group involved. I loved Sophie Turner. STRIPLV: What would you say was the biggest challenge in making this film? CHASTAIN: The visual effects were. There was this scene where my character show’s Sophie’s what her powers were, and we were filming in this room that looked like a bedroom. And we’d be like “Look at the universe, wow!”, look at the drapes.” (Laughs) STRIPLV: You are still working practically as hard and as often as ever. How do you get away from it all? CHASTAIN: I like to stay home. I also love to cook, something I learned from my mother. But usually, I like to read and be kind of quiet. STRIPLV: It took you a while before you found success as an actress. Lately, though, it seems you’re finding one significant role after another. CHASTAIN: It’s not that easy. It’s a very uncertain profession, and you’re constantly fighting for good roles. That’s why I like to work a lot because I love acting and I love being able to do things that I would never be able to do in my own life and I still carry lots of doubts about my work. STRIPLV: After your breakout with Tree of Life in 2011, you’re now an actor hotly in demand. How do you even choose scripts that must be surely flooding in? CHASTAIN: Right now, first and foremost, it hangs on the filmmaker. I’m very lucky where I’m at a point where I get scripts to read, sent to me, so the first thing I hear is that it’s Christopher Nolan’s film or Ridley Scott’s or JC Chandor. I think: “Ah, I want to work with him. I can’t wait to read the script.” Then, I have to think, is the character unlike something I’ve done before? Am I going to learn from this? Then, I think about who is part of the cast? So that’s it, usually in that order. STRIPLV: You’re one of the leading actresses in the business, yet we don’t hear a lot about your personal life. CHASTAIN: I’ve always understood that if you don’t want to have your life splashed in the media, you don’t talk about your personal life and you don’t go to a lot of big parties or to places where you’re going to be photographed. I lead a very quiet and happy life. I live in New York now, and I try to live normally and keep my daily life very separate from my work. I also have a lot of good friends who treat me like one of them, and I never feel that the nature of my job is a distraction to our friendship. I never want to be the center of attention or receive special treatment. I just want to be part of the group. STRIPLV: What’s unique about New York to you? CHASTAIN: I love the lifestyle of the city. I got to know the city first when I came to study at Julliard, and it opened up such an incredible world to me. I love being able to go to the theater, and I enjoy hanging out with friends in all these incredible little restaurants that you find in different neighborhoods of the city that have their own character. I feel very free in New York. STRIPLV: Your husband Gian Luca is Italian. Do you also love spending time in Italy? CHASTAIN: Coming to Italy helps me enjoy life, and that’s another reason it’s easier living in New York than in L.A. because it’s so much closer. Acting is stressful for me, and I need to take my time to relax. Italy is one of the most beautiful countries on earth, and I love walking among the palazzos and churches and seeing all the incredible monuments. There are also so many outstanding museums and art galleries – Italy has such a rich culture and history. I have also been studying Italian and learning a lot about wine and Italian cuisine – as well as some swear words. (Laughs) But seriously, I do feel very fortunate to be able to spend a lot of time over there.