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The beginnings -

Born and raised in Sacramento, California, Chastain developed an interest in acting from an early age. She made her professional stage debut in 1998 as Shakespeare's Juliet.

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From the stage to TV -

After studying acting at the famed Juilliard School, she was signed to a talent holding deal, where she was a recurring guest star in several television series and stage productions. Chastain made her film debut in the drama 'Jolene' (2008).

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‘The Debt’ (2010) -

In 2010, Chastain starred in the dramatic thriller 'The Debt', portraying a young Mossad agent sent to East Berlin in the '60s to capture a former Nazi doctor. She shared her role with Helen Mirren, portraying her younger version.

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'The Tree of Life’ (2011) -

One of her breakthrough roles was in the experimental drama 'The Tree of Life' as the loving mother of three children. She starred opposite Brad Pitt, and improvised several scenes and dialogue with him.

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‘Take Shelter’ (2011) -

'Take Shelter' is a psychological thriller that explores themes of existential uncertainty, fear of death, and love. Chastain plays the dismayed wife of a husband who is haunted by a series of apocalyptic visions of a coming storm.

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'The Help’ (2011) -

2011 was a big year for Chastain. Her performance as an aspiring socialite in 'The Help' earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

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‘Texas Killing Fields’ (2011) -

Chastain plays one of the detectives in this crime film, inspired by true events surrounding the murders of women kidnapped from cities around Texas. The film competed in the 68th Venice International Film Festival.

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‘Zero Dark Thirty’ (2012) -

In 2012, she won a Golden Globe Award and received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for playing a CIA analyst in the thriller 'Zero Dark Thirty.'

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‘Lawless’ (2012) -

Inspired by a true story during the Prohibition Era, 'Lawless' follows a family gang that runs a bootlegging business in Virginia. Chastain plays a woman who fled Chicago only to wind up in a gang war.

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‘The Color of Time’ (2012) -

‘The Color of Time’ is an independent biographical drama film about the author C. K. Williams. The film was written and directed by 12 New York University film students, whose teacher was James Franco.

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‘Mama' (2013) -

In 'Mama,' Chastain took on the lead role of a musician who is forced to care for her boyfriend's troubled nieces. The horror film drew her away from the 'perfect mother' roles she had previously played.

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‘Interstellar’ (2014) -

Starring Matthew McConaughey, 'Interstellar' tells the story of an astronaut who takes on a mission to travel through a wormhole near Saturn. McConaughey leaves behind his daughter, who grows up to become a successful NASA astronaut, played by Chastain.

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‘A Most Violent Year’ (2014) -

Costarring Oscar Isaac, this crime drama tells the story of the owner of a small heating-oil company who, after securing costly loans, gets his trucks hijacked. Chastain, who plays his wife, received critical acclaim for her performance.

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‘Miss Julie’ (2014) -

Chastain played the main character in the film adaptation of August Strindberg's 1888 play of the same name. It tells the tale of a repressed aristocrat who wishes to sleep with her father's valet, played by Colin Farrell.

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'The Martian’ (2015) -

In 2015, Chastain took on the part of a commander in the science fiction film 'The Martian.' The film also stars Matt Damon, who is stranded on Mars by a team of astronauts commanded by Chastain's character.

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‘Crimson Peak’ (2015) -

This gothic romance by Guillermo del Toro had Chastain playing the villain of the film. Also featuring Tom Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska, Chastain played her most hateful and egomaniacal character yet.

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‘The Huntsman: Winter's War’ (2016) -

After playing a series of intense roles, Chastain got a more light-hearted part as a warrior in the ensemble fantasy film 'The Huntsman: Winter's War.'

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‘Miss Sloane’ (2016) -

In this political thriller, Chastain portrays the kind of character she plays best: a strong, determined woman. The film follows a Washington lobbyist who fights in an attempt to pass gun control legislation.

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‘The Zookeeper's Wife’ (2017) -

The film tells the true story of Jan and Antonina Żabiński, who rescued hundreds of Polish Jews from the Germans by hiding them in their Warsaw zoo during World War II.

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‘Molly’s Game’ (2017) -

This film is based on the true story of former Olympic athlete Molly Bloom, who starts hosting poker games for celebrities and members of the elite. Chastain met with Bloom personally to better understand and explore her character's personality.

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‘Woman Walks Ahead’ (2017) -

This Western film directed by Susanna White tells the story of Caroline Weldon (Chastain), a portrait painter who travels from New York City to the Dakotas to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull in 1890. Chastain's character becomes embroiled in the indigenous peoples' struggle over the rights to their land.

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‘X-Men: Dark Phoenix’ (2019) -

Chastain took on the role of another dark character in this superhero film. She played an evil alien in what marked the 12th installment in the X-Men franchise.

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'Ava' (2020) -

Chastain produced and starred in the action film 'Ava,' which is about a professional assassin working for a black op organization. It performed poorly at the box office, but gained success on streaming platforms.

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‘Scenes From a Marriage’ (2021) -

In 2021, Chastain reunited with Oscar Isaac in 'Scenes from a Marriage,' the English-language remake of Ingmar Bergman's 1973 miniseries of the same name. Both actors had undeniable chemistry.

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‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ (2021) -

Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield star as the controversial televangelists Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker. Chastain also produced the film.

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Her first Oscar -

She won her first Oscar for her portrayal of Tammy Faye, taking home the statue for Best Actress. After thanking director Michael Showalter, co-star Andrew Garfield, and the movie’s hair and makeup team (who won an Oscar for transforming Chastain into Bakker), she took a more serious turn and spoke on how we “are coming out of some difficult times that have been filled with a lot of trauma and isolation.”

“Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States,” Chastain continued. “It’s touched many families. It’s touched mine and especially members of the LGBTQ community…. We’re faced with discriminatory and bigoted legislation that is sweeping our country with the only goal of further dividing us. There’s violence and hate crimes…. In times like this, I think of Tammy and I’m inspired by her radical acts of love.”

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'The 355' (2022) -

This female-led spy film stars Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Fan Bingbing, Diane Kruger, and Lupita Nyong'o as international spies who must work together to stop a terrorist organization from starting World War III.

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'The Good Nurse' -

In this hit Netflix series that aired in 2022, Chastain stars as a nurse who learns that her colleague, played by Eddie Redmayne, is responsible for the deaths of dozens of patients. 

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'George & Tammy' -

In 2022 and 2023, she starred opposite Michael Shannon in this Showtime miniseries about the lives of country music couple. 

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Recognized at the Screen Actors Guild Awards -

Chastain earned the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries for her role in 'George & Tammy.' But on her way up to accept the award, she stumbled on her dress. Speaking to People later she said, "I tripped on the stairs—but I had two very handsome men helping me up so that wasn't so bad," she quipped. One of the men in question was none other than Paul Mescal. In her speech, marking her third SAG Award out of a total of five nominations, Chastain spoke of how she was inspired by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, who once came to speak to her class in college and "encouraged us to keep going even when we felt like no one was watching us."

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Italian count husband -

Jessica Chastain is quite guarded about her personal life and often attends red carpet events solo. She is married to fashion executive Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo, who is an Italian count from a noble family. The couple have two children and reside in New York.

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Fashion -

The actress has made a mark in fashion, often channeling old school Hollywood glam, shimmering looks, and rich colors. She has definitely proven to be a chameleon, both on screen and on the red carpet.

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Hollywood royalty -

Over the last decade, Chastain has risen as an important figure in Hollywood. She has excelled at playing strong and self-assured women while also bringing emotional vulnerability to her roles.

Sources: (Vulture) (MovieWeb) (Through The Clutter)

See also: Stars with their own production companies

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