Jessica Chastain was born in 1982 in Topeka, Kansas, to a family that she describes as "farmers and scientists." She is a third-generation Kansan, where she also grew up on a farm. She attended Missouri State University near her hometown of Lee's Summit, Missouri, where she earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in theater. After college she studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in England, graduating with a master of fine arts degree. Chastain made her film debut with a small role in the 2000 film Almost Famous
She recently starred in The Help and Zero Dark Thirty.
I don't want to be in my car all day. I love getting up in the morning in Venice and walking my dogs down to the cafe to get my tea, and then perhaps going to a bookstore and sitting and reading, then walking to the beach.Jessica Chastain
Before, it was just about making the films - and now it's releasing them. Which is a steep learning curve.Jessica Chastain
I always say I am a realist, and my mom says, 'No, you just have anxiety.'Jessica Chastain
