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Home , Jessica Chastain

Interview Interview

Right: Society’s leading lady Jessica Chastain is charting a new path for female actresses in Hollywood Making her mark and across the world Effortlessly talented and utterly poised, Jessica Chastain is an actress who intelligent and creative. I’ve always simultaneously combines the glamour of old-age Hollywood with a penchant for believed that women need to be able portraying real, gritty and very modern women on-screen, as Jan Janssen discovers to work hard to change society and contribute in every way they can. “I’m drawn to playing women essica Chastain has long been levelled against infamous Hollywood a system that wasn’t working. And who are able to rise to the occasion known for playing steely and movie mogul, Harvey Weinstein. Not so I thought, ‘Well, what if we and make their mark in the world. Joften solitary women. only did his downfall coincide with now take the power and give Women have long been subject to From to The a clarion call for equal pay for to the actresses?’” so many constraints and obstacles Martian to , this graceful women in the film industry, but it Proving her point, the film that have prevented us from performer has distinguished herself also fuelled the resurgence of the turned out to be the biggest sale at achieving as much as we could. as arguably the finest actress of feminist movement itself. Cannes with the news that Universal Women have not been given the her generation. She brings Chastain, who is by her own Studios had paid $20m to acquire place that we deserve in terms of a simmering intensity to her admission reluctant to draw the the rights to the project. Following our contribution to society and our work that is as authentic as it is spotlight unto herself when not on the heels of other female-fronted role in history.” compelling, complete with an promoting her films, has emerged projects such as Wonder Woman She believes that a underlying sense of intent. as a highly vocal proponent of (starring Gal Gadot) which earned corresponding sea change in Those qualities were nowhere women’s rights as well as a key a record-breaking $800m for a women’s attitudes needs to begin at more in evidence than in her 2017 in the Time’s Up Legal female superhero film, and HBO a young age: “Society mostly values film, Molly’s Game, in which she Defense Fund, which has raised TV’s Big Little Lies (produced by women for their sexual desirability. played a former U.S. ski champion nearly $30m for women who have and starring Look at this #MeToo movement () who gained notoriety experienced workplace sexual and ), Chastain’s 355 we’re in. Women at a very young for organising illicit high stakes harassment, abuse and assault. production is merely a harbinger of age are taught that to be important poker games for movie stars and In keeping with her the future. For her part, she intends – to be seen – is to be pretty. Boys mobsters alike. commitment, Chastain made a to focus almost exclusively on films are taught that to be important is to “I wanted to play Molly because splash at the Cannes Film Festival where she can play characters that be strong.” I saw her as the kind of complicated last May where she unveiled her will serve as role models for young Chastain’s acting dreams were woman that we need to portray latest film project, 355, a female- women everywhere. set in motion by the example and more often in films,” Chastain says. driven spy thriller, together with “I want to be able to play experience of her grandmother “Rather than presenting women several other prominent actresses characters that will represent whose early artistic ambitions were as angelic portraits of perfection – Penelope Cruz, , women as leaders and fighters. thwarted by the social conventions or sexy objects of desire, I am Lupita Nyong’o (all Oscar winners) We also need to be shown in many of her era. interested in playing authentic and Chinese star . different lights – as caring and “My grandmother Marilyn was women, women that I know in “We independently financed it,” loving individuals in addition to being a huge influence in my life,” my life who make mistakes, are Chastain said. Chastain recalls. noble sometimes, are competitive “And all five of us own equity “As a young woman, she had sometimes, and who can get quite in the film. I love the idea about aspirations of becoming an actress messy sometimes.” creating this movie and seeing that but she never really got the chance. Her commitment to women’s these women aren’t just people for “I’M DRAWN TO PLAYING She was part of a generation of rights has seen her become one of hire. [Look at] or WOMEN WHO ARE ABLE women where there was a lot of TO RISE TO THE OCCASION the most ardent supporters of the or . You AND MAKE THEIR MARK pressure to get married and have #MeToo movement that was set in wonder: These incredible actresses, IN THE WORLD.” children and be a mom. motion in September 2017, amid where are they now? Why did they But she saw in me someone JESSICA CHASTAIN multiple sexual assault allegations disappear for so long? It was who had the same kind of ➤

14 Upward Curve April-June 2019 April-June 2019 Upward Curve 15 Interview

and big city life in general. “No one in my family outside of my grandma had any idea of what Julliard was,” “I GET TREMENDOUS Chastain recalled. “Even after I was SATISFACTION FROM accepted and told my mother about PLAYING WOMEN WHO PUSH THE ENVELOPE AND FIGHT it, she was terrified about my going FOR THEIR PLACE AND to New York and worried about how RECOGNITION IN SOCIETY.” she and my dad were going to find JESSICA CHASTAIN the money to pay for me to go and live in New York. “But then I won a [Julliard] see so many incredible scholarship that had performances and films.” set up and I was never so happy in Upon graduation, Chastain my life. Getting into Julliard was struggled for nearly a decade to find a huge event in my life and ever meaningful roles. But in 2011 she since I’ve always been so happy exploded onto the film landscape whenever I get a part and I’m able when she suddenly found herself to do this kind of work. I live for it. appearing in six films, that by wicked “I just absorbed everything coincidence were all released that about the city and its love of culture same year. The most significant of and the arts. It was this incredible those were The Debt, in which she world that I suddenly found myself played an Israeli agent; The exploring and feeling a part of Tree of Life, opposite , as the life of the city. At Julliard, well as the Oscar-nominated The artistic ambitions that she had and A native of northern California where I remember times when Mikhail Help, which earned her rave reviews was the one who took me to my she was raised by her vegan chef Baryshnikov would sit down at and a best supporting actress Oscar first play, where David Cassidy was mother and fireman stepfather in a lunch table or I would get on an nomination for her co-starring starring in Joseph and the Amazing modest circumstances, Chastain elevator and Yo-Yo Ma would be role as the oddball but otherwise Technicolor Dreamcoat, the Andrew thrived in the fertile creative in it. Lincoln Center was just enlightened black sheep of a racist Lloyd Webber musical. I was seven environment that the school fostered around the corner and I would Mississippi town. ➤ at the time and as soon as the curtain went up, and a girl my age was on stage and starting to speak, that’s when I knew what I wanted to do with my life. As soon as I got home, I announced to my parents: ‘I’m going to be an actress.’” That process began in earnest in New York City where she studied acting at the renown Julliard School for the performing arts, one of 20 promising high school students chosen from amongst 1,400 students in the U.S. who applied for the four-year programme.

Above: Chastain and husband Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo on the red carpet at the 2019 Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Right: Chastain participated in 2018 after the release of X-Men: Black Phoenix

April-June 2019 Upward Curve 17 Chastain’s work in Kathryn worked as hard as any man to Central Park in New York City with advocate on behalf of women: Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty (2012), as win her cases. her Italian nobleman husband, “I get tremendous satisfaction the CIA agent who was instrumental “It’s rare that in Hollywood we Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo, 36, from playing women who push the in hunting down tell stories where women are shown a fashion executive at Moncler. envelope and fight for their place earned her yet another Oscar to be rebels and outsiders, and They have spent the past six years and recognition in society. We nominations, this time for Best that’s what I loved about this film together and were married in June need to keep telling those kinds of Actress, and she has not looked and how it shows that a woman can of 2017 in an exclusive ceremony stories to inspire young women to back since. She has also managed be just as tough as any man.” held in Treviso, Italy. Last year they aspire to great things... and I feel an to cultivate an image for herself Not that Chastain herself in became parents to a baby girl, obligation to contribute something as an actress known for playing person is anywhere near as strident Giullietta Passi Chastain, born via to society and to create or be part of women who succeed in a man’s as Sloane or some of her other a surrogate. projects that create discussion and world. A classic example of that screen alter egos? "I wish! (Laughs) In the coming months Chastain inspire people.” came in Miss Sloane (2016), where I wish I could be as intimidating and will be appearing in several major We wouldnt have expected she played a ruthless Washington as determined as that. But it’s hard new releases including the highly anything less. ■ D.C. lobbyist. “The great thing about for me to be as tough as you need to anticipted horror flick, It: Chapter Miss Sloane is that she challenges be in those situations or when you’re Two, based on the Above: Chastain on the Cannes the idea of what we think a woman arguing with someone... But I’m novel, and Eve, a crime drama Film Festival red carpet in 2012 should be,” Chastain observed. getting better at it!" in which she plays an assassin for 3: Europe’s “She was a crusader, but she was The 42-year-old Jessica opposite John Malkovich, Geena Most Wanted in which she plays also a woman who was willing Chastain lives in a sprawling Davis, and . She also the voice of Gia, the inquisitive to fight as hard as any man and Victorian apartment overlooking intends to remain an outspoken and free-willed jaguar

18 Upward Curve April-June 2019