Biography for
Jessica Chastain More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

24 March 1977, Sacramento, California, USA

Birth Name

Jessica N. Howard

Height

5' 4" (1.63 m)

Mini Biography

Jessica Chastain was raised in a middle-class family in a northern California suburb. She discovered dance at the age of nine. By the age of 13, she was in a dance troupe. She took her mother's maiden name and began performing in Shakespearean productions all over the Bay area.

An actor in a production of "Romeo & Juliet" encouraged her to audition for Juilliard as a drama major. She became a member of "Crew 32" with the help of a scholarship from one of the school's famous alumni, Robin Williams.

In her last year at Juilliard, she was offered a holding deal with TV writer/producer John Wells and she eventually worked in three of his TV shows. Jessica continues to do theatre, having played in "The Cherry Orchard", "Rodney's Wife", "Salome" and "Othello". She spends her time between New York and Los Angeles, working in theater, film and TV.

In 2011, she had a prolific year in film. She was nominated for and won a number of awards, including a 2012 Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for The Help (2011).

IMDb Mini Biography By: emo83

Trivia

Attended The Juilliard School of Drama in New York and was in the graduating class of her best friend, Jess Weixler.

One of five children of a fireman father and a vegan-chef mother with a food truck. Jessica was the first member of her family to attend college.

Before her film career, she toured in a stage production of "Othello" with Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Was personally handpicked by Al Pacino to play opposite him as the title character of the play 'Salome'. Pacino later recommended her to Terrence Malick, who gave her an audition for The Tree of Life (2011).

Is a Vegan.

Her idols are Isabelle Huppert, Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore.

Graduated from El Camino Fundamental High School in Sacramento, California in 1995. One of her classmates was Mandisa Hundley.

In 2012, she was named on the list of Time 100 most influential people in the world.

Owns a three-legged dog named Chaplin.

Was named the Sexiest Smile by Victoria Secret's "What Is Sexy" list in 2012.

Won the Next Future Icon award at The Elle Style Awards 2012.

Was awarded at the Elle Women in Hollywood Awards with the Calvin Klein Collection's Emerging Star Spotlight Award.

Was awarded the inaugural Gucci Award for Women in Cinema for The Tree of Life (2011).

Was ranked #86 in Ask Men's Top 99 Women of 2012.

Was once roommates with Michelle Williams They were both nominated for Oscars in 2012 and have remained good friends.

Good friends with Michael Urie. They were both members of the Juilliard School's Drama Division's Group 32.

A devout yoga disciple.

Personal Quotes

I was a difficult child because I wanted to be the mom.

I don't look modern. I'm not the girl that would walk into the room and everyone goes, "Oh!"

[on being directed by Terrence Malick in The Tree of Life (2011)] I would have pages of what we were going to convey, but I could say the words in any order I wanted, and sometimes we would say the same thing in many different ways... I think he will always be the greatest teacher I know. I'm trying, in the Terrence Malick kind of way of not planning and just allowing life to happen, trying to find these moments that mirror life and [are] not preconceived in any way. So that has changed me. I try to keep that freshness in things we've done.

[on rehearsals] They'll say, "Save it, save it". I tell them: "Don't worry. I have a bottomless well of tears.

Sometimes I'll have a meeting with someone and they'll say, "Oh, Sean Penn was just here and was saying the nicest things about you". You know, when you're applying for a job? These are like my recommendations. It's nice.

I get embarrassed really easily. I get embarrassed even when people sing me "Happy Birthday."

[on preparing for her role in The Tree of Life (2011)] Emotionally and spiritually, I had to figure out what it meant to play the embodiment of grace. And how do I capture that? Okay, so I start studying paintings of the Madonna at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I start listening to music that inspires feelings of love inside me, I start reading books about cultivating joy and cultivating gratitude. I start meditating.

I don't normally get into this, but I'm a vegan. And I try not to, well, I don't want to torture anything. I guess it's about trying to live a life where I'm not contributing to the cruelty in the world... While I am on this planet, I want everyone I meet to know that I am grateful they are here.

When I first moved to LA, it was very difficult. All the casting directors didn't know what to do with me, with the way I looked. I'm not blonde with tanned skin and tall and skinny. I looked very different - and they said I looked like I was from another time.

Right after The Tree of Life (2011) came out, I started hearing about strategies for my career. And I made a decision that I wasn't going to do anything based on a strategy. If I don't continue to challenge myself and risk failure, I have no business being an actor. I'm not an actor to be a personality. I want to see every part I take like a master class. And you know what? I'm going to fail sometimes. And that's OK. Because when you fail, you learn more.

I don't talk about my dating life. But I will say this: in this business it's very tough to maintain a relationship because we're like gypsies - always on the move. And the more you share your relationship with the world the less special it becomes. So I always try to keep my dating life quiet.

It took me four hours to read the script for The Tree of Life (2011) because it's so dense and beautiful, and I feel it should be published, and I hope it is someday because it's really gorgeous. I knew from the script that it was going to be a really special film, and it was going to be unlike anything probably I'll ever make. It's like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that changes the structure of filmmaking. I didn't know how he was gonna do it, but I knew, because it was Terrence Malick, he was gonna do it and he did.

People were confused by me, and at first I was auditioning a lot for the crazy characters or the victim, someone who'd been attacked. Which is great, because usually those are the best acting roles.

There is this immediate connection, this intimacy when you're acting because there's no room to be polite or shy. Also, as an actor I get to connect with women I've never met before.

I always say I am a realist, and my mom says, "No, you just have anxiety."

I'm inspired by people who are so sensitive and vulnerable that they try to cover it up.

I'm very sensitive in real life. I cannot not cry if someone around me is crying. I will start to cry if someone is crying, even if it's not appropriate. I have that thing in me, a weakness or sensitivity.

[Addressing her fans about her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for The Help (2011)] Oh my goodness! I am in absolute shock. I didn't expect to receive an Oscar nomination! I really didn't! I don't understand this great year. I'm in Paris and was in a fashion show when the nominations were announced. My life has become a dream. Thank you all, for your love and faith in me. I've more blessings than I can count. Today is a beautiful day that I will remember for the rest of my life.

My grandmother has been the biggest influence in my life when it comes to acting. My father is a fireman and mother is a vegan chef, and the only real artistic connection I had while growing up was my grandmother. She always kind of wanted to be an artist and an actress, but as a young woman in the '50s, she wasn't really given the opportunity. She was told to marry young and have children young, and be a mom. But when I was young, she'd do things like, for Christmas, she'd buy me a ballet tutu and ballet lessons. My grandmother took me to my first play. And she moved me to Juilliard. When I got in, she flew with me to move into the dorm. She's been an incredible influence in my life.

I love fashion. As a young girl I would always save my money to buy fashion magazines and imagine myself doing photo shoots or walking up the red carpet. All those things came true in my life although I like a more retro look than a lot of the latest designer things I get to wear. But fashion is something I love to explore and I whenever I get to go to the big fashion shows in Paris I feel so much anxiety because I'm so fascinated by the art and creativity that goes into creating beautiful clothes.