Jessica Chastain went from redhead typecast to having her fingerprints all over Hollywood in the blink of an eye.Trained at Juilliard, the versatile actress struggled to find steady work in her initial years in Los Angeles, however, a dynamic performance in an indie changed all that. Her knockout debut in "Jolene" snowballed into role after role and quickly catapulted the unknown Chastain into an A-list star overnight. This fall, actress stars opposite Oscar Isaac in the acclaimed "A Most Violent Year," a film that has already earned Chastain a Golden Globe nomination.
From her special Oscar date to her famous ex-roommate, here are 27 things you probably don't know about Jessica Chastain.
1. Jessica Michelle Chastain was born March 24, 1977 in Sacramento, California.
2. Estranged from her father, Chastain was raised by her mother, Jerri Chastain, and her stepfather, Michael Hastey, who she considers to be her father.
3. Chastain's mother is a vegan chef, while her stepfather is a fireman.
4. At the age of 7, Chastain developed an interest in acting after her grandmother took her to see David Cassidy in a production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."
5. Nearly twenty years later, Chastain's grandmother was her date to the Oscars in both 2012 and 2013.
6. Aside from acting, Chastain showed a knack for dancing and was in a dance troupe by the time she was thirteen.
7. Acting proved her true calling, however, and she was performing in a professional theater company in the Bay Area while in high school.
8. Following graduation, the young actress attended the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City (1999-2003) as a member of "Crew 32."
9. The scholarship fund for Crew 32 was provided by the late Robin Williams.
10. In her final year at Juilliard, Chastain attended a showcase in Los Angeles and was signed to a holding deal by TV producer John Wells ("ER," "The West Wing").
11. The actress had difficulty getting cast, however, largely due to being a redhead and her unconventional "modern looks."
12. She made her television debut in 2004 on Wells's hit show "ER."
13. Around the same time, she was cast in a TV pilot for "Dark Shadows," a remake of the 1960s Gothic soap opera. The show, unfortunately, did not get picked up by the network.
14. In 2008, the talented Chastain broke out in the 2008 indie film "Jolene." She hasn't stopped working since.
15. From 2011 through 2014, the actress appeared in over 15 feature films. That's crazy.
16. Al Pacino even handpicked the young actress to play the title character opposite him in the play "Salome."
17. He later recommended her to Terrence Malick for the lead in "The Tree of Life" (2011).
18. In 2013, Chastain won the Golden Globe for Best Actress (Drama) for her performance in "Zero Dark Thirty."
19. She's permanently saved the voicemail from director Kathryn Bigelow in which she learned she'd won the part in "Zero Dark Thirty."
20. Unfortunately, Jennifer Lawrence took home the Oscar that year for "Silver Linings Playbook."
21. To date, Chastain has been nominated for two Oscars and three Golden Globes.
22. Most recently, she earned a Golden Globe nomination for "A Most Violent Year" in the Best Supporting Actress category. The Oscar nominations have yet to be announced.
23. In fall 2015, Chastain will star opposite Charlie Hunnam and Tom Hiddleston in Guillermo del Toro's "Crimson Peak."
24. As for her personal life, she had a long-term relationship with director Ned Benson.
25. Benson directed Chastain opposite James McAvoy in the romantic drama "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby" (2013).
26. She's currently dating Italian fashion executive Gian Luca Passi di Preposulo.
27. Bonus Fact: Chastain and her former roommate and good friend, actress Michelle Williams, were nominated for Oscars the same year (2012). Luckily, they were nominated in separate categories!
[Sources: Wikipedia, IMDb]
from The Moviefone Blog http://news.moviefone.com/2014/12/30/jessica-chastain-facts/
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