I like characters and stories that challenge the status quo. Lately, I'm really interested in history because I find that in my public school education, I didn't learn about women in history. I want to introduce the world to some great stories and incredible heroes.

Jessica Chastain

Women Men History

Women can be powerful, graceful, and complex, with the ability to make any choice they desire.

Jessica Chastain

Women Power Men

I can't even open my eyes underwater.

Jessica Chastain

Yes Water Underwater

We need to understand that femininity is not weakness. And our society, for some reason, equates the two.

Jessica Chastain

Society Weakness Weak

I'm either thought of as ethereal or fiery. And maybe that's the interesting thing about red hair: there's that fiery Renaissance connotation and the ethereal.

Jessica Chastain

Tin Thought Though

I have problems because I'm very expressive, and usually red lipstick gets on my teeth and face.

Jessica Chastain

Very Usual Use

When I first moved to Los Angeles, I don't think anyone knew what to do with me.

Jessica Chastain

Wit Think Thin

I'm inspired by people who are so sensitive and vulnerable that they try to cover it up.

Jessica Chastain

Who Vulnerable Up

I don't want people to look at me.

Jessica Chastain

Want T People

I actually chose to do 'X-Men' because I'm working with Simon Kinberg, who's also a first-time filmmaker who I met on 'The Martian' and is an incredible writer and producer.

Jessica Chastain

Work Time Men

Okay, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: I'm a very superstitious person. I'm walking onto the plane as we speak. I'm putting my hands on the outside of the plane and my feet are on the lip of the plane. I have to do it every time before I fly.

Jessica Chastain

Time You Walking

I've spent my life being embarrassed.

Jessica Chastain

Life T Spent

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

Morning Love Car

I take great responsibility in any character that I play.

Jessica Chastain

Great Take T

Some people think I've had a nose job. I've never had anything like that done, but I have no judgement of anyone that does.

Jessica Chastain

Men Think Thing

This is what the media does with women. You try to divide and conquer women so you can intimidate and victimise them. This is why they don't make movies where a lot of women get to be on set together. It's about dividing.

Jessica Chastain

Women Movies Men

I never heard in my entire life that a man was overprepared for anything. I am overprepared in my life. What's wrong with being ambitious, being overprepared, being one step ahead?

Jessica Chastain

Life Wrong Wit

Making films can be very lonely, and that's the part I don't like. I don't want to feel like I'm pressing 'pause' on my personal life to make a movie. I want to feel like I'm still creating relationships and things are moving forward.

Jessica Chastain

War Relationship Life

The great thing about modern feminism is that women can define what it means to them: it can mean being ambitious, it can mean being emotional, it can mean being sensitive and compassionate and also a leader. It can mean all those things.

Jessica Chastain

Women Men Great

The power of 'no' means you're educating people in how to treat you.

Jessica Chastain

Power You Treat

I sometimes go to a movie and eat my popcorn and turn my brain off. I love those movies. But the movies I like to be in, for the most part, are the ones that challenge you.

Jessica Chastain

Time Movies Love

There I was at 'The Tree of Life' premiere, holding hands with Sean Penn and Brad Pitt. That walk down the red carpet was a real rite of passage for me. Suddenly, journalists began asking, 'Who's this actress?'

Jessica Chastain

When you take away healthcare from women, you're keeping women out of the workforce because you're eliminating their choice of when to start a family.

Jessica Chastain

I'm the unknown everyone's already sick of.

Jessica Chastain

Everyone has to learn how to live in an environment that has not made it easy for women to claim their place, so I think it's all women's responsibility to step forward.

Jessica Chastain

I was a dramatic kid. I remember, I was very young, and once I knew what I wanted to do I, like, created a theater company, and I would direct, and we would sell lemonade to buy props.

Jessica Chastain

My whole life, I wanted to be an actor. Perhaps the seed was planted when I saw Sigourney Weaver in 'Alien', wiping the floor with the men on the ship.

Jessica Chastain

Green tea throughout the day is the healthiest thing I've discovered for me.

Jessica Chastain

I went to public school, and I didn't do well in school. And it wasn't until, actually, I got into school at Juilliard - it was the first time in my life that I thought, 'Oh, maybe I'm not stupid,' because I was so inspired and passionate about what I was learning, and it was the first time in my life I had felt that.

Jessica Chastain

When I get a script that has the opportunity to create discussion and inspire young girls, I don't want to say no to that... I just want to contribute.

Jessica Chastain

I'm a true believer that you get out of something what you put into it.

Jessica Chastain

People were confused by me, and at first I was auditioning a lot for the crazy characters or the victim, someone who'd been attacked. Which is great, because usually those are the best acting roles.

Jessica Chastain

I struggled for so long to try to create a career.

Jessica Chastain

Being a woman has always been a powerful thing, where history has sometimes dictated otherwise, but I believe that a woman can be compassionate, sensitive, soft, kind.

Jessica Chastain

I like characters and stories that challenge the status quo. Lately, I'm really interested in history because I find that in my public school education, I didn't learn about women in history. I want to introduce the world to some great stories and incredible heroes.

Jessica Chastain

Only a woman can tell you what it's like to be a woman in a society where men are in charge. When you have one demographic that controls the livelihood of minorities, then you're always going to have abuses of power. So this goes way beyond Hollywood.

Jessica Chastain

I always say I am a realist, and my mom says, 'No, you just have anxiety.'

Jessica Chastain

When something happens, I always check myself and know it's going to go away. So be prepared for it. This is a tough business for actors who are sensitive. If you try to hold on to things, you'll go crazy.

Jessica Chastain

If I were Elizabeth Sloane, I wouldn't be wearing makeup. I'd just be focused on getting the job done.

Jessica Chastain

I think that with any emotion - fear, love, nervousness - if the actor's feeling it, then the audience feels it.

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've actually been given a great gift. When I walk into an audition with a director, I'm carrying no baggage. They haven't seen me in anything, even though I've done nine films.

Jessica Chastain

Whatever anyone says, I think the opposite will happen.

Jessica Chastain

I'm very sensitive in real life. I cannot not cry if someone around me is crying. I will start to cry if someone is crying, even if it's not appropriate. I have that thing in me, a weakness or sensitivity.

Jessica Chastain

You know, it's recently come into focus for me why I want to be an actor: It's because of the connection I feel to people.

Jessica Chastain

There is this immediate connection, this intimacy when you're acting because there's no room to be polite or shy. Also, as an actor I get to connect with women I've never met before.

Jessica Chastain

I try not to fake anything.

Jessica Chastain

I'm the first person in my family to go to college.

Jessica Chastain

Broadway has always been a dream of mine.

Jessica Chastain

I've had to learn how to say 'no' to offers.

Jessica Chastain

I'm used to working really hard to get a role. I was always auditioning and talking my way into roles.

Jessica Chastain