Jessica Chastain on working with Terrence Malick

You'll be seeing a lot of newcomer Jessica Chastain in the coming year, with here starring role in 'The Tree of Life' being the first of a string of big screen engagements

Jessica Chastain, 30, is one of the most prolific actors you still haven’t heard of. That’s about to change with the arrival of Terrence Malick’s ‘The Tree of Life’. It’s been three years since Chastain shot her scenes with Brad Pitt, where they play the parents of a trio of boys in 1950s Texas. She has since made seven films, and ‘a scary onslaught’ of them is set for release soon – including ‘Coriolanus’ and Mossad thriller ‘The Debt’.

People have strong reactions to ‘The Tree of Life’. What was yours?
‘It was like watching a home video. I just loved those boys [the young actors who play her sons] so much. A lot of it was like: “Oh my gosh, there’s Hunter, look at Tye.”’

So many scenes are about what characters are feeling  – moments snatched from the eldest boy’s memory. What direction was Terrence Malick giving you?
‘Terry would give us pages of dialogue that we could say in any order. And then we’d often redo the scene without dialogue. He’d say: “That's great, but now do the speech without the words.” [Laughs.] And I had to convey what he wrote with my eyes and my body. Which is scary, but he made me feel like I could do anything.’

We have this idea of Terrence Malick the reclusive auteur, shying away from human contact, but it sounds like he’s not like that...
‘No, he’s not at all. He’s reclusive to the press. But the second I met him he was incredibly warm. He’s very interested in people. I just don’t think he’s interested in being in front of the camera. His job is to shine a mirror on a part of humanity when he’s making a film. And it becomes more difficult to do that if you go in front of the camera. The public separates you: you’re famous, so you’re different. The way he lives, his life is very connected to his family and friends – it’s a normal existence – and he tells stories about that.’

How nervous were you before auditioning?
‘Incredibly. I was a huge Terrence Malick fan. I am a huge Terrence Malick fan. Just the idea that I’d get to meet him was terrifying.’

Is it right that he wanted an unknown actress for the part?
‘I found that out recently. And, well, thank goodness. That helped me.’

Now that you’ve got so many films coming out does it feel strange to lose that anonymity?
‘It hasn’t happened yet. My life is the same as it was two months ago. I’ve been recognised once in the street.’  

Brad Pitt plays your husband. Did you audition together?  
‘No, there was another actor initially [Heath Ledger]. Brad’s company was producing and he jumped in and saved the day. So Brad and I never met until we were on set. The first scene that we shot was our wooing scene, and I was embarrassed because I didn’t know him. But I think it worked great, because it added a lot of shyness to that moment.’

An entire neighbourhood was rented and decked out 1950s style, is that right?
‘Yes, it was amazing. I felt like I was in the 1950s. Sometimes I’d be at home sitting there eating dinner in my house and I’d look out and I’d see the boys in my yard, Terry shooting.’
 
And you’re in his next film?
‘I don't know if I’m in the film. I shot a very small part. I was on the set there for less than a week. My guess is that I don’t think I'm going to be in the film – but I was definitely on set.’



Read our review of 'The Tree of Life'

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