Jessica Michelle Chastain was born in Sacramento, California, and was raised in a middle-class household in a Northern California suburb. Her mother, Jerri Chastain, is a vegan chef whose family is originally from Kansas, and her stepfather is a firefighter. She discovered dance at the age of nine and was in a dance troupe by age thirteen. She began performing in Shakespearean productions all over the Bay area.

An actor in a production of "Romeo & Juliet" encouraged her to audition for Juilliard as a drama major. She became a member of "Crew 32" with the help of a scholarship from one of the school's famous alumni, Robin Williams.

In her last year at Juilliard, she was offered a holding deal with TV writer/producer John Wells and she eventually worked in three of his TV shows. Jessica continues to do theatre, having played in "The Cherry Orchard", "Rodney's Wife", "Salome" and "Othello". She spends her time between New York and Los Angeles, working in theater, film and TV.

In 2011, she had a prolific year in film. She was nominated for and won a number of awards, including a 2012 Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for The Help (2011).

Jessica Chastain at an event for Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

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Al Pacino and Jessica Chastain in Salomé (2013)

Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

Seth Meyers and Jessica Chastain in Jessica Chastain & Seth Meyers (2023)

Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain in Justified & Ancient (2023)

Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain in The Grand Tour (2022)

Jessica Chastain in We're Gonna Hold On (2022)

Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain in The Race Is On (2022)

Jessica Chastain in The Race Is On (2022)

Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, and Emma Stone in The Help (2011)

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Best Moments from the Oscars 2022 Telecast

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain

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