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Jessica Chastain (born March 29, 1981) is an American theater, film, and television actress. She is known for her roles in the 2011 films The Help, The Debt, Take Shelter, and The Tree of Life. For her role in the film The Help she received her first ever Academy Award nomination. Jessica Chastain was born Jessica Howard in Northern California. She is one of five children. Her mother is a vegan chef, and her father is a firefighter. Chastain is also vegan herself. She took her mother's maiden name as her stage name. Chastain had a "blue collar" upbringing around San Francisco. She attended... MORE

Jessica Chastain (born March 29, 1981) is an American theater, film, and television actress. She is known for her roles in the 2011 films The Help, The Debt, Take Shelter, and The Tree of Life. For her role in the film The Help she received her first ever Academy Award nomination. Jessica Chastain was born Jessica Howard in Northern California. She is one of five children. Her mother is a vegan chef, and her father is a firefighter. Chastain is also vegan herself. She took her mother's maiden name as her stage name. Chastain had a "blue collar" upbringing around San Francisco. She attended The Juilliard School in New York City, because of a scholarship made available by Robin Williams. While there, she was an active participant in the drama department and starred in several theatrical productions and student film projects. Her first professional role came in 2004 for a TV movie adaptation of Dark Shadows. She later appeared in such television series as ER, Veronica Mars, Close to Home, and Law & Order: Trial By Jury. In 2008, she made her film debut as the title role in Jolene, for which she received the Seattle International Film Festival Award for Best Actress. Her next film LESS