I grew up in a low-income family. I was raised by a single mother.
— Jessica Chastain
I like characters and stories that challenge the status quo. Lately, I'm really interested in history because I find that in my public school education, I didn't learn about women in history. I want to introduce the world to some great stories and incredible heroes.
If I were Elizabeth Sloane, I wouldn't be wearing makeup. I'd just be focused on getting the job done.
I'm going to do anything I can to be there and support any organization that empowers and creates opportunities for women.
Making films can be very lonely, and that's the part I don't like. I don't want to feel like I'm pressing 'pause' on my personal life to make a movie. I want to feel like I'm still creating relationships and things are moving forward.
There I was at 'The Tree of Life' premiere, holding hands with Sean Penn and Brad Pitt. That walk down the red carpet was a real rite of passage for me. Suddenly, journalists began asking, 'Who's this actress?'
I don't know if there will ever be a day that I'm not wearing heels. I'm a very big personality, and I don't like to look up at other people.
Funny how defined we are by how we present ourselves to the world.
I look at all the ingredients of a film and say, 'Is this a positive thing that I'm putting into the world? Is there honor and respect in the way the story is being told about them? And would they approve of that?'
The reason we like acting is connecting to other people.
I'm working hard to break free of stereotypes that the film industry has created and nurtured around women.
I love fall because I love the whole cuddling aspect of it, and a sweater dress has that vibe of I'm going to hunker down and be warm, but it's also very feminine.
I love being around great actors and film-makers, and I try to hide the fact that I'm in awe of them.
I was excited that my films would finally see the light of day and people would see them. But I never imagined that such nice things would be said about a lot of my films.
I have a feeling that very soon I'm going to fail very, very big. I'm going to try something and everybody's going to be like, 'What was she thinking?'
I don't like the idea that fame could mean that people can no longer relate to me.
I've had to learn how to say 'no' to offers.
I do know that people treat me different with blonde hair than they do with red hair.
I sometimes go to a movie and eat my popcorn and turn my brain off. I love those movies. But the movies I like to be in, for the most part, are the ones that challenge you.
My grandmother was my inspiration. She was the person who took me to the theater and encouraged me to act, and she's the one who always believed in me.
For the most part, I was surprised by the representation of female characters onscreen. I do hope that when we include more female storytellers, we will have more of the women that I recognize in my day to day life.
I just don't think of myself as a movie star - I'm an actress.
My favourite smell is the smell of cut grass, and the sound of sprinklers going on.
If I get a role, it's because I fought for it.
I just want to see more women in film and behind the camera. I'm tired of seeing movies from one perspective.
I'm really inspired by stories I didn't know about.
In our society, women are valued for their sexual attraction. I'd like to get away from the sex symbol idea of what beauty is. Actually, that's probably the farthest thing from beauty, because it's makeup and hair, it's pouty lips - it's not real.
I am not one to go for traditional female roles, because I don't think traditionally female characters are very interesting, and I don't think they represent real life.
I have problems because I'm very expressive, and usually red lipstick gets on my teeth and face.
It takes me a long time to make a big purchase.
No one ever recognizes me.
I'm the unknown everyone's already sick of.
I've spent my life being embarrassed.
Broadway has always been a dream of mine.
There's a lot of criticism on how an actress is aging. Why do we do that with women? I work with a lot of men who take terrible care of themselves - they drink too much, or they eat too much. We need to allow women to age.
I talked to congressmen who really hate having to go to the many fundraisers, but they see it as a necessary part of their job.
One of my goals is to play a villain in a Bond film. People ask me if I want to be a Bond girl, and I say, 'No, I want to be the villain.' I'm waiting for that call!
Being a woman has always been a powerful thing, where history has sometimes dictated otherwise, but I believe that a woman can be compassionate, sensitive, soft, kind.
I'm a shadow whisperer: I hide in the shadows. And I tend to avoid places where I might get photographed and end up with my picture in the press.
There have been situations where I have lost movies because I've said, 'This is not a fair deal,' and I've walked away.
I'm either thought of as ethereal or fiery. And maybe that's the interesting thing about red hair: there's that fiery Renaissance connotation and the ethereal.
I was the first one in my family to go to college.
I'm a true believer that you get out of something what you put into it.
We have a long way to go in the world in all industries. If I'm in the situation where I have equal experience to the other actor and my role is just as significant, there is no reason why I should be paid less. It's not really part of my world anymore, because I just won't accept it.
One of my favorite parts of being an actress is being a detective.
I've never been in New York for the whole time of Fashion Week.
I grew up poor.
I don't want people to look at me.
I'm such a geek.
I'm used to working really hard to get a role. I was always auditioning and talking my way into roles.
