Jessica Chastain is an American film and television actress.

Early life

Jessica Chastain was born Jessica Howard in Northern California. She is one of five children. Her mother, Jerri, is a vegan

Veganism

Veganism is the practice of eliminating the use of animal products. Ethical vegans reject the commodity status of animals and the use of animal products for any purpose, while dietary vegans or strict vegetarians eliminate them from their diet only...

 chef, and her stepfather, Michael, is a firefighter. Chastain is also vegan herself. She took her mother's maiden name as her stage name. Chastain had a "blue collar" upbringing around San Francisco. She attended The Juilliard School in New York City, because of a scholarship made available by Robin Williams. While there she was an active participant in the drama department and starred in several theatrical productions and student film projects.

Career

Her first professional role came in 2004 for a TV movie adaptation of Dark Shadows

Dark Shadows (2004)

Dark Shadows is a one hour pilot that was a remake of the 1966–1971 series Dark Shadows. The pilot was commissioned by The WB Television Network and produced in 2004. Directed by P. J. Hogan, it was filmed at the Greystone Mansion, which also served as the Collinwood Mansion for the previous...

. She later appeared in such television series as ER

ER (TV series)

ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...

, Veronica Mars

Veronica Mars

Veronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during television network UPN's final two years, and ended on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Veronica Mars was produced by Warner Bros...

, Close to Home, and Law & Order: Trial By Jury

Law & Order: Trial by Jury

Law & Order: Trial by Jury is an American television drama about criminal trials set in New York City. It was the third spin-off from the long-running Law & Order. The show's almost exclusive focus was on the criminal trial of the accused, showing both the prosecution's and defense's preparation...

.

In 2008, she made her film debut as the title role in Jolene

Jolene (2008 film)

Jolene is a 2008 American drama film directed by Dan Ireland. It stars Jessica Chastain as the titular character. It is based on the short story, Jolene: A Life by E. L. Doctorow, itself inspired by Dolly Parton's song, Jolene. It premiered on 13 June, 2008 at the Seattle International Film...

, for which she received the Seattle International Film Festival Award for Best Actress

Seattle International Film Festival

The Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...

.

Her next film role, portraying a young Mossad

Mossad

The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....

 agent in John Madden's

John Madden (director)

John Philip Madden is an English director of theatre, film, television, and radio.- Biography :Madden was educated at Clifton College. He was in the same house as friend and fellow director Roger Michell. He began his career in British independent films, and graduated from the University of...

 The Debt, premiered at film festivals in 2010 and had its theatrical release delayed until August 2011.

She has a number of other projects scheduled for release in 2011, including Terrence Malick's

Terrence Malick

Terrence Frederick Malick is a U.S. film director, screenwriter, and producer. In a career spanning almost four decades, Malick has directed five feature films....

 The Tree of Life and the psychological thriller Texas Killing Fields. Chastain received rave reviews for her performance in the 2011

2011 in film

The year 2011 is notable for containing the release of the most film sequels in a single year, at 27 sequels. The following tables list films that are in production or have completed production and will be released in the United States and Canada at some point in 2011.- Highest-grossing films :...

 film Take Shelter

Take Shelter

Take Shelter is a 2011 American drama film starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain. The film is written and directed by Jeff Nichols. Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from...

playing the wife of a small town man plagued by apocalyptic visions.

Chastain has also completed a film adaptation of Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...

's Salome

Salome (play)

Salome is a tragedy by Oscar Wilde.The original 1891 version of the play was in French. Three years later an English translation was published...

alongside Al Pacino

Al Pacino

Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...

 and has filmed supporting roles for other adaptations such as Coriolanus and The Help

The Help (film)

The Help is a 2011 comedy-drama film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel of the same name. The film is about a young white woman, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, and her relationship with two black maids during Civil Rights era America in the early 1960s...

. Her most recently announced project is John Hillcoat

John Hillcoat

John Hillcoat is an Australian screenwriter and film director.Hillcoat was born in Queensland, Australia, and was raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. As a child, his paintings were featured in the Art Gallery of Hamilton. He has repeatedly worked with Nick Cave and also the band Depeche Mode...

's prohibition era drama, The Wettest County in the World

The Wettest County in the World

The Wettest County is an upcoming film directed by John Hillcoat due to be released on 20th April 2012 and starring Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy. The Nick Cave screenplay is based on a novel of the same name by Matt Bondurant.- Plot :...

.

On November 29, 2011, Chastain was annouced as Best Supporting Actress by the New Film Critics Circle Awards for her performances in The Help

The Help (film)

The Help is a 2011 comedy-drama film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel of the same name. The film is about a young white woman, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, and her relationship with two black maids during Civil Rights era America in the early 1960s...

, Take Shelter

Take Shelter

Take Shelter is a 2011 American drama film starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain. The film is written and directed by Jeff Nichols. Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from...

and The Tree of Life

Tree of Life (film)

The Tree of Life is a 2011 American drama with experimental elements written and directed by Terrence Malick and starring Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, and Jessica Chastain...

as well as gaining an Independent Spirit Award nomination the same day for her performance in Take Shelter

Take Shelter

Take Shelter is a 2011 American drama film starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain. The film is written and directed by Jeff Nichols. Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from...

.

Filmography

Films

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2008	Jolene Jolene (2008 film) Jolene is a 2008 American drama film directed by Dan Ireland. It stars Jessica Chastain as the titular character. It is based on the short story, Jolene: A Life by E. L. Doctorow, itself inspired by Dolly Parton's song, Jolene. It premiered on 13 June, 2008 at the Seattle International Film...	Jolene	Seattle International Film Festival Award for Best Actress Seattle International Film Festival The Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
2009	Stolen	Sally Ann
2011		Mrs. O'Brien	Hollywood Film Festival Hollywood Film Festival The Hollywood Film Festival is an annual Film festival which is located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Festival was established in 1997 by Carlos de Abreu and his wife, model Janice Pennington....  Award for Breakthrough Actress New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award given by the New York Film Critics Circle, honoring the finest achievements in filmmaking....
2011		Celia Foote	Hollywood Film Festival Hollywood Film Festival The Hollywood Film Festival is an annual Film festival which is located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Festival was established in 1997 by Carlos de Abreu and his wife, model Janice Pennington....  Award for Breakthrough Actress New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award given by the New York Film Critics Circle, honoring the finest achievements in filmmaking....
2011		Young Rachel Singer	Hollywood Film Festival Hollywood Film Festival The Hollywood Film Festival is an annual Film festival which is located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Festival was established in 1997 by Carlos de Abreu and his wife, model Janice Pennington....  Award for Breakthrough Actress
2011	Wilde Salome Wilde Salome Wilde Salome is 2011 American documentary-drama film written, directed by and starring Al Pacino. An exploration of Oscar Wilde's play Salome, the film premiered at the 68th Venice International Film Festival...	Salome Salome Salome , the Daughter of Herodias , is known from the New Testament...
2011	Take Shelter Take Shelter Take Shelter is a 2011 American drama film starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain. The film is written and directed by Jeff Nichols. Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from...	Samantha LaForche	Hollywood Film Festival Hollywood Film Festival The Hollywood Film Festival is an annual Film festival which is located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Festival was established in 1997 by Carlos de Abreu and his wife, model Janice Pennington....  Award for Breakthrough Actress New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award given by the New York Film Critics Circle, honoring the finest achievements in filmmaking....   Pending – Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
2011	Texas Killing Fields	Detective Pam Stall
2011	Coriolanus	Virgilia	Hollywood Film Festival Hollywood Film Festival The Hollywood Film Festival is an annual Film festival which is located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Festival was established in 1997 by Carlos de Abreu and his wife, model Janice Pennington....  Award for Breakthrough Actress
2012	The Wettest County The Wettest County in the World The Wettest County is an upcoming film directed by John Hillcoat due to be released on 20th April 2012 and starring Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy. The Nick Cave screenplay is based on a novel of the same name by Matt Bondurant.- Plot :...	Maggie

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2004	Dark Shadows Dark Shadows (2004) Dark Shadows is a one hour pilot that was a remake of the 1966–1971 series Dark Shadows. The pilot was commissioned by The WB Television Network and produced in 2004. Directed by P. J. Hogan, it was filmed at the Greystone Mansion, which also served as the Collinwood Mansion for the previous...	Carolyn Stoddard	TV film
2004	ER ER (TV series) ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...	Dahlia Taslitz	Episode: "Forgive and Forget"
2004	Veronica Mars Veronica Mars Veronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during television network UPN's final two years, and ended on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Veronica Mars was produced by Warner Bros...	Sarah Williams	Episode: "The Girl Next Door"
2005–2006	Law & Order: Trial by Jury Law & Order: Trial by Jury Law & Order: Trial by Jury is an American television drama about criminal trials set in New York City. It was the third spin-off from the long-running Law & Order. The show's almost exclusive focus was on the criminal trial of the accused, showing both the prosecution's and defense's preparation...	Assistant District Attorney Sigrun Borg	4 episodes
2006	Close to Home	Casey Wirth	Episode: "The Rapist Next Door"
2006	Blackbeard Blackbeard Edward Teach , better known as Blackbeard, was a notorious English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of the American colonies....	Charlotte Ormand	2 Episodes: TV Film
2006		Laura Green	Episode: "Pilot"
2007	Journeyman Journeyman (TV series) Journeyman is a 2007 American science fiction television drama created by Kevin Falls for 20th Century Fox Television which aired on the NBC television network. It starred Kevin McKidd as Dan Vasser, a San Francisco reporter who involuntarily travels through time...	Tanna Bloom	Episode: "Friendly Skies"
2010	Agatha Christie's Poirot Agatha Christie's Poirot Agatha Christie's Poirot is a British television drama that has aired on ITV since 1989. It stars David Suchet as Agatha Christie's fictional detective Hercule Poirot. It was originally made by LWT and is now made by ITV Studios...	Mary Debenham	Episode: "Murder on the Orient Express Murder on the Orient Express Murder on the Orient Express is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on January 1, 1934 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year under the title of... "

External links