I didn’t know how much I loved Jessica Chastain until...I binged on her movies including a new HBO series she’s in, called Scenes From A Marriage (tread lightly--it's intense!). Then I followed her on Instagram and was instantly addicted! Behind the scenes she’s a silly redhead who loves being glammed up. On camera, she’s pure talent--and you become entangled in the emotions of the characters she plays. Her Oscar nomination for best actress in In The Eyes of Tammy Faye comes as no surprise but what did surprise me is her collection of work. Whatever she touches turns to GOLD. Here’s a quick-n-dirty of everything you need to know about Jessica Chastain, from her statement lip to her viral Instagram Reels.
Let's get this out of the way first: Have you seen In The Eyes of Tammy Faye yet? This was literally a made-for-her-role and she killed it! I wouldn't call it her break-out role because Jessica's been around for quite some time, portraying everything from the unassuming heroine to characters we absolutely love to f*cking hate. She's done it all, and I'm going to list her best movies below in case you need a shortlist. Tammy Faye was not a personality I expected Jessica to embody. As a person, Tammy was very unique, from her voice to her presentation. As an icon of the telemarketing era, she was eccentric and authentically over the top in ways that I think could be easily over-acted. But Jessica nailed it and captured her so covincingly that Tammy's aura felt once again very alive. Even if you didn't grow up watching or knowing about Tammy Faye (her husband and her church) you were sucked into the story by Jessica's interpretation of her charm, chipperness, and unrelenting ambition. Even at her lowest and worst, Tammy showed face with a huge smile. I started to believe Jessica was REALLY Tammy. In my opinion, she captured the beautiful insanity that was Tammy Faye. As much as there were negative things about Tammy, there was a whole lot of good to her too. She didn't make you hate Tammy at all. She made us look at Tammy as a human, with compassion, in much the same way the real Tammy Faye tried to appeal to the American public for acceptance of the LGBTQ community and persons suffering from AIDS.
If you haven't see In The Eyes of Tammy Faye, you should! But enough about this movie specifically!
Here are my favorite JC films and currently playing series:
- Zero Dark Thirty
- Molly's Game
- The Help
- The Tree of Life
- Scenes From A Marriage
- In The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Why Jessica Chastain's Insta Page is Poppin': It's how I always wanted to believe a famous actress would be: QUIRKY & REAL! On her page, Jessica shares her down time, the press time, the BTS from her films, the getting ready's for important events, but also just those unscripted moments of real time that fans (like me) crave. For example, she went LIVE on her way to the NYC premier of Tammy Faye as her car was driving through Times Square. As a New Yorker, I loved this! The crazy thing was that I actually jogged by as she was walking the red carpet (I was on my way to the gym). What are the odds of that? Her look that night was fierce!
I feel like I can relate to Jessica Chastain on many levels because she shows us the different layers of her work and personal life with such humility. I absofuckinglutely love it. You really must watch JC's Instagram Reels. I think it's some of her best damn work!
Jessica's Outfits are SICK. The woman likes to be styled and glammed. She's unapologetic about it without flaunting it in your face like a Kardashian. I think it's because she's super elegant and smart. She knows how to pose and make an entrance because she leads with confidence in her talent. It's not about the outfit...it's the woman in the outfit.
Also her deep red lip that she often wears proves she has balls. It can be striking on paler skin but I love how she rocks it.
This is a photo of her NYC premier look...and probably my favorite style that I've ever seen her rock.
JC is a Vegan. She's also very sensitive. As someone who easily tears up, I can relate to how she describes herself: "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." I mean...how can you NOT love this woman? You get a sense of her compassion from her recent speech at the SAG Awards. As a TV host, I totally understand the hustle of finding jobs because they're few and far between and when I audition, I don't always book. It can be very discouraging and sometimes it feels like you'll never make it. But the "you're one job away" advice towards the end of her speech is really uplifting and to know that she was once at the bottom fighting to get to the top is so very inspiring, especially as her voice cracks with emotion.
One last thing, JC is NOT single. You probably didn't know that though. While she's not married to anyone super famous, he IS a count...which makes her a countess. Her beau is Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo, whom she started dating in 2012. While she does mention him and post about him on Instagram often, she once said: "The more you share your relationship with the world the less special it becomes. So I always try to keep [mine] quiet.
Are you a Jessica Chastain fan too? Let me know in the comments. What's your favorite movie that she's in?