American actress Jessica Chastain studied at the Juilliard School, where she was signed for a talent holding deal by the television producer John Wells. From 2004 to 2010, she had guest roles in television shows, including ER, Veronica Mars, and Law & Order: Trial by Jury. She also appeared in stage productions with Michelle Williams for The Cherry Orchard in 2004, and with Al Pacino for Salome in 2006. In 2008, Chastain played the title character in her film debut Jolene. She had a minor role in Stolen (2009), a critically panned mystery-thriller, following which she played the younger version of Helen Mirren's character in the action thriller film The Debt (2010).
The year 2011 proved a breakthrough for Chastain. Among her six film releases that year, she starred with Brad Pitt in The Tree of Life, an experimental drama from Terrence Malick, and portrayed an aspiring socialite in 1960s America in the drama The Help. For the latter, Chastain received her first Academy Award nomination, in the supporting actress category. In 2012, she voiced Gia in the $747 million-grossing animated film Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. She also played a CIA analyst in Kathryn Bigelow's thriller Zero Dark Thirtya partly fictionalized account of the manhunt for Osama bin Ladenwhich garnered her a nomination for Academy Award for Best Actress. Also in 2012, Chastain made her Broadway debut in a revival of The Heiress, playing a naive young girl who becomes a powerful woman.
In 2013, Chastain starred in the horror film Mama, and played an unhappily married woman in Ned Benson's three-part drama film, collectively titled The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby. Chastain's biggest live-action commercial successes came in the next two years with the science fiction films Interstellar (2014) and The Martian (2015), both of which grossed over $600 million worldwide. In the former, directed by Christopher Nolan, she played a scientist, and in the latter, directed by Ridley Scott, she played an astronaut alongside Matt Damon. Chastain went on to play strong-willed titular protagonists in the political thriller Miss Sloane (2016), the historical drama The Zookeeper's Wife (2017), and the crime film Molly's Game (2017). In 2019, Chastain played the adult Beverly Marsh in the horror sequel It Chapter Two. In 2021, she starred in the HBO miniseries Scenes from a Marriage, and produced and starred as the televangelist Tammy Faye in the biopic The Eyes of Tammy Faye. For the latter, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Chastain received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for starring in a 2023 Broadway revival of A Doll's House.
Film
Year Title Role Notes 2008 Jolene Jolene2009 Stolen Sally Ann Also known as Stolen Lives2010 Daniel's mother Short film; also co-producer (young)2011 Take Shelter Coriolanus Virgilia Wilde Salomé Salome Documentary film Texas Killing Fields 2012 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted Gia Voice Lawless Also known as Tar Zero Dark Thirty Maya Harris 2013 Mama Annabel Also co-producer2014 Miss Julie Interstellar (adult) 2015 Unity Narrator Documentary film Crimson Peak 2016 Sara Miss Sloane 2017I Am Jane Doe Narrator Documentary film; also executive producer Also executive producer Molly's Game Woman Walks Ahead 2018This Changes Everything Herself Documentary film 2019Dark Phoenix Vuk / Margaret It Chapter Two (adult) 2020 Creating a Character: The Moni Yakim Legacy Herself Documentary film; also executive producer Ava Also producer2021The Sands BetweenWomanShort film Tammy FayeAlso producer2022 Cameo 2023 Memory Sylvia 2024 Mothers' Instinct Alice Bradford Also producer 2025 Dreams Jennifer McCarthy Also executive producer 2026 Ursula, Other Mommy Post-production Misty Jones Post-productionTBA Goneril Post-production Sharon Normandie Filming
Television
Year Title Role Notes 2004 Dark Shadows Carolyn Stoddard Unaired pilot ER Episode: "Forgive and Forget" Veronica Mars Episode: "The Girl Next Door" 2005–2006 Law & Order: Trial by Jury 3 episodes 2006 Close to Home Episode: "The Rapist Next Door" Episode: "Pilot" Blackbeard Miniseries 2007 'Til Death Hostess Episode: "The Italian Affair" Journeyman Episode: "Friendly Skies" 2010 Agatha Christie's Poirot Episode: "Murder on the Orient Express" 2016 Animals. Sarah Voice; episode: "Turkeys" 2018 Saturday Night Live Herself Episode: "Jessica Chastain / Troye Sivan" 2021 Scenes from a Marriage Miniseries; lead role and executive producer 2022 Reframed: Marilyn Monroe Narrator Documentary miniseries 2022–2023 George & Tammy Miniseries; lead role and executive producer 2027 Jodi Goodwin TBA Stella West
Stage Year Production Role Venue 1998 Romeo and Juliet Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts2004 Anya Williamstown Theatre Festival2004 Rodney's Wife Lee Playwrights Horizons2006 Salome Salome Wadsworth Theatre2009 Othello Desdemona2012 Walter Kerr Theatre2017 13-year-old girl Carnegie Hall2023Nora HelmerHudson Theatre
Music video Year Title Performer(s) Album Ref. 2017 "Family Feud" Jay-Z (featuring Beyoncé) 4:44
Podcast Year Title Role Platform Note Ref. 2023 The Space Within Dr. Madeline Wyle Audible Also executive producer
Virtual reality Year Title Role Release Note Ref. 2018 Spheres: Songs of Spacetime Narrator Oculus Rift Also executive producer
Discography Year Title Album 2021"Battle Hymn of the Republic"The Eyes of Tammy Faye (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)"Jesus Keeps Takin' Me Higher & Higher""The Sun Will Shine Again""Somebody Touched Me""We are Blest""Don't Give Up (On the Brink of a Miracle)""Puppet Medley (Give a Hug, Jesus Loves Me, Up with a Giggle)" 2022"The Race is On"George & Tammy (Original Series Soundtrack)"White Lightning""Apartment No. 9" "Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad" "Why Baby Why" "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" "A Girl I Used to Know" "Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby's Arms" "Stand By Your Man" "Take Me" "I Don’t Wanna Play House" "Beneath Still Waters" "Something to Brag About" "We’re Gonna Hold On" "Run, Woman, Run" "The Grand Tour" "‘Til I Get It Right" "We Go Together" "You and Me" "Two Story House" "The Door" "He Stopped Loving Her Today" "Golden Ring" "Help Me Make It Through the Night" "Lost Highway"
See also List of awards and nominations received by Jessica Chastain
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