I honestly came into Jessica Chastain’s Hollywood Reporter cover story with a chip on my shoulder. I’ve defended Chastain enough times now, and I think I give her a fair shot to say her piece and explain herself. But I do feel like she comes across, at times, like she “invented” talking about pay equality and that we need to give her credit for that. There’s a self-congratulatory (and white feminist) air about her, something I can’t always put my finger on. That being said, when I actually parse her words, I can rarely find anything problematic. She’s generally careful about how she speaks. You can read the full THR piece here. Some highlights:
On why she gave the actresses in her financial Cannes hit, 355, equity in the film: “Susan Sarandon or Jessica Lange or Sissy Spacek. You wonder: These incredible actresses, where are they now? Why did they disappear for so long? It was a system that wasn’t working. And so I thought, ‘Well, what if we now take the power and give it to the actresses?’”
On why she still feels ‘preachy’ talking about women’s issues in interviews: “Oh gosh, my interviews sometimes do sound preachy. I get a little bit like, ‘Here we go, we’re gonna talk about this’ … When I read them back it just sounds like I’m lecturing, saying how life should be lived. And in actuality, I don’t want to tell anyone how to live their life.”
Octavia Spencer, on what drove Chastain to push for pay parity for their upcoming Christmas film: “I shared a personal story [with Chastain] about what [financial] success has meant for me and most women of color in comparison to our white counterparts. I told her about the gross disparity in our salaries. She provided a much-needed shoulder and listened. And then she did what she always does: She took up my cause and made it her own. As a friend, she’s your biggest cheerleader; but as a colleague, she’s your most vocal advocate.”
Chastain, on the same: “Your silence is your discrimination. So if you are succeeding in an environment where there is discrimination, you are actively being discriminatory. I knew women of color got paid less than Caucasian actresses. What I didn’t know is someone of Octavia’s level, who had an Oscar and two Oscar nominations, how much less she would be getting paid. When she told me what she was making, that’s what really made me go, ‘Hold up, that doesn’t compute in my brain.’… This is the God’s honest truth — I care more about what Octavia’s getting paid than what I’m getting paid. Because I’ve got a great life. I am more concerned about her than I am about me. Equal pay for equal work!”
On why the Kardashians are “the most powerful women in our society”: “[Chastain viewed an episode where] there’s a media training. And Kim’s the one that brings everyone to go do it. You definitely see that she is a very intelligent person and is learning how to gain control over her life. I mean, she already has it, but especially in media and society.”
Chastain and Octavia Spencer do have a great relationship off-camera, and they have a lot of chemistry together. I think Chastain is looking to apply that principle writ large too: actresses and actors should talk about their salaries with each other and demand pay equality. It’s not just about Chastain and Spencer’s personal friendship, it’s about Bradley Cooper telling Jennifer Lawrence how much he makes to help her negotiate. It’s about Meryl Streep telling Viola Davis how much she makes so Viola can negotiate more. And on and on.
Cover courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter (from promotional email) and additional photo courtesy of WENN.
Every time I try to watch any of her work, I can’t. It’s the most weird thing. I’ve never had a reaction like that to any actor before. I don’t dislike her, and did admire her public comments.
And then I read her Kardashian bits and now I feel vindicated. Add in parsing some of the above and my brain was saving me apparently. This is the day I begin ignoring her completely and without malice. Wish her well but I’ll stop trying now.
White saviour. That’s the feeling she emanates, for me at least.
Is she supposed to fix the broken system by not talking about it? Or leave it to black women to fix somehow when they’re the ones getting screwed over? It’s not like there’s a whole bunch of white actresses (forget actors….) doing what she’s doing. They won’t even touch the subject, currently she’s the only one.
I just don’t see what she’s supposed to do differently here if she actually wants things to change.
But what are white people supposed to do? I mean, I totally understand the frustration when a white person gets all the glory for pointing out social issues black women have been addressing for years. It’s problematic when the topic of equal pay gets media attention only when a stereotypically pretty white Hollywood actress opens her mouth. But at the same time, what is the alternative. JC could have kept her mouth shut, enjoyed her huge salaries and let black actresses struggle on their own, like most of the champagne liberals in Hollywood do. But isn’t solidarity an important trait? Being privileged means you have a responsibility to try to put yourself in other people’s shoes and look at how those privileges could be more fairly distributed.
There is something always sort of smug about her. But I like what she says here. I applaud her if she puts her money where her mouth is & practices what she preaches. That said, I would like to see other white Hollywood players do the same.
I’ll never forget the story of how the two Asian characters on the reboot of Hawaii 5-O left, because they wanted higher/equal pay with their white co-stars, and they eventually had to leave because their co-stars didn’t back them up at alllllllll. It always struck me how they made that choice, because they would’ve lost nothing sticking up for them. Selfishness knows no bounds
“Now that she is a favored nation, Chastain has found herself in the unlikely position of being an ally to underserved white men. “Someone will call my lawyer,” she tells me, “and say, ‘I know Jessica’s all for equal pay, so …’ And I’ve gotten a situation where I’m like, ‘Sure, I’ll tie my pay to him and bring his quote up.'”
Should have told her lawyer she is not available at the moment.
> underserved white men
what is that
Yeah… She tries so hard to be the wokest woke that has ever woked. It is definitely not the worst thing to do, but it feels cloying. But hey if this helps Octavia Spencer to get paid as she deserves, I will happily put up with her white saviour syndrome. Maybe it would feel more real if she had some personality. *Shrug*
She’s bringking attention to an important issue. How is she supposed to do it without talking about it?
I don’t think she’s playing white savior, she’s telling white people what they need to do. Talking about it put’s pressure on other white people to do the same thing. Just as BC talking about helping JL get equal pay pressures other men to do the right thing.
JC and BC aren’t just saying the right thing, they’re doing the right thing. Racism and sexism will only disappear when white people and men demand equality for POC and women.
Yeah I hate this kind of pile-on. She is TRYING and she is doing her best to make change. She is walking the walk. It’s like we need every feminist to be perfect and when someone stands up for a cause everyone looks for any little flaw and ends up hating the woman. I can’t stand it. The WOC in her life seem to appreciate her efforts. Is she perfect? No, but she doesn’t pretend to be. At least she’s trying which is more than most people are doing. And by talking about it she helps mount pressure on others to do the same.
I agree. Like, what else can she do? If she’s not doing or saying anything people find problematic then thinking she’s smug or whatever doesn’t really matter. Why does BCoop get props for being an ally but she doesn’t?
she lost me with her praise of the KarTRASHians. that family is vile, and nauseating
I like her a lot, and her movie “Miss Sloane” is great.
Octavia Spencer killed it in her role in The Shape of Water. Though Allison Janney’s performance was showier, I think Octavia could have equally won it, too. Also, the actress who played the sex worker mother in The Florida Project (her first acting role) was so amazing I was surprised she wasn’t nominated, too.
I don’t get this one: “if you are succeeding in an environment where there is discrimination, you are actively being discriminatory” – so me being successful in male dominated IT implies me being discriminatory… against whom? There are no other minorities but my own in this context, so… ? Somebody explain this to me. English is not my first language. Thank you.
The comments in this thread anger me so much. White saviour syndrome?? I am a POC and I am extremely appreciative of Chastain doing all she can. If white women don’t say anything about issues that plague women of colour, then everyone of you would shriek “white feminism” but if she uses her privilege to be heard to improve the pay of a costar then you all roll your eyes and say white saviour. It’s your prejudice talking.