Interesting facts about Jessica Chastain that you probably didn't know

Jessica Chastain is definitely one of Hollywood best actresses. She has not only featured in a number of awards winning movies and acts but she has also one of the most fun people to engage both in life and on social media. Recently in 2013, this movie vixen starring in the movie 'The Disappearance of Elanor Rigby’, which is a series of three films that tell a tale of a married couple from a number of perspectives. Many of us didn’t know a lot about her until she appeared in the movie 'The Help’ from which she gained international stardom. Here are seven interesting facts about this beautiful actress that you probably didn’t know.

1. She started acting at the age of seven

Jessica Chastain as a child. The actress reportedly considers her step-father to be her dad, as she was estranged from Michael Monasterio

This gorgeous red-head discovered and nurtured her acting talent at the mere age of seven years. After visiting the theater with her grandmother, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream coat’, Jessica says that this amounted to a realization and a wake-up call to venture into the acting career. Since then she has not looked back and her decision was obviously the best she ever made. Jessica actually acknowledges that her grandmother had a major role in convincing her to take up acting as a career. She credits a lot of acting to her grandmother whom she says is someone who always believed in her. She took her as her date to the Oscar awards both in 2012 and 2013, a gesture that denotes how much she valued Marilyn’s role in her acting career.

2. She was academically challenged

Jessica is quoted to have had a difficult time with her studies which she mainly attributes to the situation of her early child life. Having been brought up in a somewhat poor family, Jessica didn’t fancy academics as such. She considered herself a school misfit and would occasionally skip classes and go to the park to read Shakespeare art pieces.

Jessica Chastain by Ellen von Unwerth for GQ UK January 2013

3. She had a tough childhood and family life

Having been born on March 24, 1977 in Sacramento, California, Jessica’s early life was not a walk in the park. Her mother, Jerri Renee Hastey, was a vegan chef whereas her father, Michael Monasterio, who later divorced her mother, was a rock musician. The relationship between Jessica and her father was quite fragile and she never considered him as a real dad especially after the divorce with her mother. She was however raised by her stepfather, Michael Hastey, a fireman she says is one of the most important men in her life. Jessica has four siblings; Juliet Chastain (deceased), Nicole Monasterio, Laci Smoot, and Will Chastain. Her sister Juliet died from a drug overdose in 2003, a tragedy she says, changed her from the person she previously was.

On 3 November 2016, Chastain’s hands and feet will also be imprinted at the TCL Chinese Theatre forecourt, an event coinciding with her latest movie 'Miss Sloane'

4. She went to Julliard

Many actors and actresses dream of enrolling at the Julliard School of arts that is considered by many as the Harvard of arts and _performance_s. Jessica had the opportunity to attend this school (1999-2003) as a member of 'Crew 32’, which was quite expensive and out of range for her. She was however graced with a scholarship by renowned actor, Robin Williams, who supported her and paid her tuition fee.

Jessica Chastain as Maya is a CIA officer is reassigned to the US embassy in Pakistan to help the search for Osama bin Laden. A decade-long struggle to find leads tests Maya's capabilities as an officer on one of the hardest manhunts ever, her ability to not let her emotions take her over in the face of tragedy and the strength of her voice and convictions against those who doubt her

5. She is actively involved in 'Write Love on Her Arm’

Jessica is well involved and supports an organization by the name, 'To Write Love on Her Arms’, an organization whose main focus is to help people who are dealing with depression, self-harm, addiction, and suicide. Having been a victim of depression and having lost her sister to addiction, Jessica felt it worthy to support this organization that seeks to address these problems, especially amongst the youth. She also sums up as an advisory member of the organization, 'We Do It Together’, which produces films and television shows to promote the empowerment of women.

Jessica Chastain, Queen Latifah and others have launched 'We Do It Together', a non-profit TV / film production company focused on female empowerment

6. She has a number of awards to her name

Jessica has starred and appeared in a number of films since she started her acting career. She has appeared in movies including; 'Take Shelter’ 'The Help’ and 'Coriolanus' in 2011, 'Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted’ and 'Zero Dark Thirty’ in 2012, 'Mama’ in 2013, 'Interstellar’ and 'A Most Violent Year’ in 2014, 'The Martian’ in 2015. Chastain has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film, 'The Help’ in 2011 and Best Actress in her movie, ’Zero Dark Thirty’ in 2012. Jessica won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her role in a motion picture, Drama for 'Zero Dark Thirty’ in 2012, and has been nominated twice for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in the motion picture for 'The Help’ in 2011, and 'A Most Violent Year’ in 2014.

Jessica Chastain at 'The Help'. 'As an actor_, I want to play different kinds of women and I don’t want to be associated with a certain look for each part because I want to be allowed to age. The wonderful thing about the different roles I’ve had is that they look so different'_

7. Previous and current love life

Chastain is considered a somewhat discreet and quiet actress who rarely talks about her personal life. However, since the early 2000’s to somewhere in 2010, Jessica was dating director and writer, Ned Benson, who at one time directed her in the movie, ’The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby’ in 2013. Currently, Jessica is dating Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo, an Italian executive for the French fashion brand Moncler. They are currently living in New York.

Actress Jessica Chastain attends with her boyfriend Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo the Oscars Foreign Language Film Award Reception February 20, 2015 in Los Angeles, California