Jessica Michelle Chastain (born March 24, 1977) is an American actress. Born and raised in Sacramento, California, Chastain had an emotionally turbulent childhood. She studied acting at the Juilliard School, following which she was signed on for a talent holding deal with the television producer John Wells. In the late 2000s, she had guest roles in several television series, including ER and Law & Order: Trial by Jury. She also appeared in stage productions of The Cherry Orchard in 2004 and Salome in 2006.
Chastain made her film debut in Jolene (2008), but found little success initially. She gained wide public recognition in 2011 for her starring roles in six films, including the dramas Take Shelter, The Tree of Life and The Help. Her performance as a troubled wife in 1950s America in the last of these earned her an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She garnered critical acclaim in 2012 for her portrayal of a CIA agent in Zero Dark Thirty, winning a Golden Globe Award and receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Her highest-grossing films include the horror film Mama (2013) and the science fiction films Interstellar (2014) and The Martian (2015).
Chastain made her Broadway debut in 2012 with a revival of The Heiress. In 2012, Time featured her as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World,[3] and in 2013, the film critic Richard Roeper described her as "one of the finest actors of her generation."[4]
