One of the greatest working actors of today, Jessica Chastain eyes her first possible Oscar win on Sunday for best actress for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” from Searchlight Pictures.
Also serving as a producer, she would be the second woman to win an acting Oscar for a movie she also produced. The first was Frances McDormand for “Nomadland” (2020), winning best picture.
Blazing onto the Hollywood scene significantly in 2011, Chastain transitioned into film after earning acclaim in the world of theater. She had six film releases in 2011 alone, garnering critical acclaim for all of them – “The Debt” from John Madden, “Take Shelter” from Jeff Nichols, “Coriolanus” from Ralph Fiennes, “The Tree of Life” from Terrence Malick, “Texas Killing Fields” from Ami Canaan Mann and “The Help” from Tate Taylor. In addition, she received her first nomination for best supporting actress for her turn as the lovable Celia in “The Help.”
She was invited back to the Oscars the following year for her turn as Maya, a government agent trying to locate Osama Bin Laden in Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty” (2012), but this time for lead actress. On a recent episode of Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast, she spoke about her experience on the awards campaign trail during that time, derailed by controversies surrounding the film’s depiction of torture.
Since then, she’s offered multiple takes in independent features such as “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby” (which released three different versions), while exploring various auteur filmmakers such as J.C. Chandor with “A Most Violent Year” (2014) opposite Oscar Isaac and Christopher Nolan with “Interstellar” (2014).
Her most recent film, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” was produced through Chastain’s production company Freckle Films, which bought the rights to Tammy Faye Bakker’s life back in 2012 before its founding in 2016. Launched to develop and showcase female talent, Freckle Films continues to make strides with its all-women producing team.
Below, Variety ranks her 10 best performances in honor of her birthday.
Honorable mentions: “Miss Julie” (2014), “The Debt” (2011), “Crimson Peak” (2015)