From poverty and bullying to the Oscars – the actress who refused to break

The Help was a huge success, grossing $216 million at the box office and becoming her most widely seen film to that point.

But most people probably remember her for her role in Interstellar (2014), which brought her recognition with audiences around the world. With a budget of $165 million, the high-profile film, co-starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, was shot primarily using IMAX cameras.

She played the adult daughter of McConaughey’s character and was drawn to the project by the emotional depth of the father-daughter relationship. Interstellar went on to gross over $701 million worldwide, making it her highest-grossing live-action film to date.

Strong feminist themes

And now you might be starting to guess who our star is… yes, it’s Jessica Chastain!

The American actress and producer has gained a reputation for choosing roles and projects with strong feminist themes. That approach has helped her escape being typecast as just a sex symbol, giving her the freedom to explore a wide range of roles across different films.

”The part I played in Interstellar, for example, was originally written for a man,” she told The Telegraph. “Chris Nolan decided to make it about a father and daughter instead.”

She’s also aware that this flexibility isn’t universal — some roles demand a certain image. ”Of course if you need a sex object then that’s different,” she added.