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I honestly came into Jessica Chastain’s Hollywood Reporter cover story with a chip on my shoulder. I’ve defended Chastain enough times now, and I think I give her a fair shot to say her piece and explain herself. But I do feel like she comes across, at times, like she “invented” talking about pay equality and that we need to give her credit for that. There’s a self-congratulatory (and white feminist) air about her, something I can’t always put my finger on. That being said, when I actually parse her words, I can rarely find anything problematic. She’s generally careful about how she speaks. You can read the full THR piece here. Some highlights:

On why she gave the actresses in her financial Cannes hit, 355, equity in the film: “Susan Sarandon or Jessica Lange or Sissy Spacek. You wonder: These incredible actresses, where are they now? Why did they disappear for so long? It was a system that wasn’t working. And so I thought, ‘Well, what if we now take the power and give it to the actresses?’”

On why she still feels ‘preachy’ talking about women’s issues in interviews: “Oh gosh, my interviews sometimes do sound preachy. I get a little bit like, ‘Here we go, we’re gonna talk about this’ … When I read them back it just sounds like I’m lecturing, saying how life should be lived. And in actuality, I don’t want to tell anyone how to live their life.”

Octavia Spencer, on what drove Chastain to push for pay parity for their upcoming Christmas film: “I shared a personal story [with Chastain] about what [financial] success has meant for me and most women of color in comparison to our white counterparts. I told her about the gross disparity in our salaries. She provided a much-needed shoulder and listened. And then she did what she always does: She took up my cause and made it her own. As a friend, she’s your biggest cheerleader; but as a colleague, she’s your most vocal advocate.”

Chastain, on the same: “Your silence is your discrimination. So if you are succeeding in an environment where there is discrimination, you are actively being discriminatory. I knew women of color got paid less than Caucasian actresses. What I didn’t know is someone of Octavia’s level, who had an Oscar and two Oscar nominations, how much less she would be getting paid. When she told me what she was making, that’s what really made me go, ‘Hold up, that doesn’t compute in my brain.’… This is the God’s honest truth — I care more about what Octavia’s getting paid than what I’m getting paid. Because I’ve got a great life. I am more concerned about her than I am about me. Equal pay for equal work!”

On why the Kardashians are “the most powerful women in our society”: “[Chastain viewed an episode where] there’s a media training. And Kim’s the one that brings everyone to go do it. You definitely see that she is a very intelligent person and is learning how to gain control over her life. I mean, she already has it, but especially in media and society.”

[From The Hollywood Reporter]

Chastain and Octavia Spencer do have a great relationship off-camera, and they have a lot of chemistry together. I think Chastain is looking to apply that principle writ large too: actresses and actors should talk about their salaries with each other and demand pay equality. It’s not just about Chastain and Spencer’s personal friendship, it’s about Bradley Cooper telling Jennifer Lawrence how much he makes to help her negotiate. It’s about Meryl Streep telling Viola Davis how much she makes so Viola can negotiate more. And on and on.

71st annual Cannes Film Festival - 355 - Photocall

Cover courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter (from promotional email) and additional photo courtesy of WENN.


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