If you haven't yet seen Miss Sloane about a formidable political mastermind and the sure-to-lose case against the gun lobby that she takes on to the surprise of DC, you'll want to catch it soon. It's rather a classic star vehicle in that the glamorous leading lady is front and center and steering all the juicy twisty drama. That leading lady is, of course, the tireless Jessica Chastain. Chastain shot to stardom with seven films in 2011 (including The Tree of Life and her Oscar nominated role in The Help) and she seemingly hasn't left movie theaters. She's starred in everything from moody business thrillers (A Most Violent Year), gothic horror (Crimson Peak), fiery military dramas (Zero Dark Thirty), and more.
I sat down to talk with her in NYC a month or so ago about how far she's come since that explosive debut year, how she recharges between movies, and how she approached her Golden Globe nominated role as the amoral steely Miss Sloane.
NATHANIEL: One of the things that stuck with me from the first time we talked years ago was how many questions you write into each script about your character. With this character in particular, she is really a complicated woman
JESSICA: So complicated.
NATHANIEL: So was your script just buried in notes?
JESSICA: Oh my gosh, it was insane...
Just things like -- well, at the very beginning of this there were a lot of questions about terminology that I didn't understand. And then I started asking about political associations, where does she lean? She was working clearly with free enterprise and less government interference which would typically lean Republican. So I created this backstory. When she says "I grew up lying" -- then you go 'Why did she grow up lying?' And then I answer them each time I read the script.
So it's all just an internal exercize?
Well, I do answer them. If I write the question it means it's something I need to understand before I can shoot the scene.
I was going to ask about her actual personal politics. With lobbyists... at first I thought she was apolitical that it was just a job.
I met with a bunch of lobbyists in DC and they're all pretty political. She's at a conservative firm. I don't think of her as a gun for hire. I don't think she'd work on the environment --'oh yeah, let me help' -- she's not a beating heart. I think she does think there should be more gun legislation but what's more enticing is beating the unwinnable case. She needs the win.
How much 'business' do you work out ahead of time? There's this great moment where you're holding a bottle of wine awkwardly asking your boss (Mark Strong) to stay for a drink.
It was scotch!
Was that something you'd worked out beforehand...
That was intuitive in the moment. However I spend so much time on the details so that things like that can happen. When they were set dressing my office, I asked for scotch, I asked for cups, I asked for toothpaste - whatever she'd use in space. So then when we're shooting that scene 'what would she do to celebrate?' so it was there because I'd ask for it. I try to fill the space of the character as much as I can with things that are their real things so that when I'm acting I can play with it all.
So you get very involved in the filmmaking?
All departments. I'm super involved. Props. Costumes. I mean.... [Laughs] Hopefully costume designers like an actor's input!
I wanted to ask you about working with Jake Lacy. I've been so impressed with him. Obviously this role as an escort is a bit different for him but usually he's playing kind of 'the boyfriend' and yet he differentiates the characters so well. He has such a gift with female actors. Why is he so interesting with women?
I watched him in Carol and Girls and I think he's great. When I first got the script I didn't understand those scenes. 'What is this? What is the point?' Then when Jake showed up -- this is what great actors do -- I was like, 'I get it. I completely get it.' He has such a strong sense of humanity and vulnerability. He is like a kitten in those scenes with her. She is so aggressive and he is disarmingly vunerable and I think he makes those scenes work. In her mind he's her boyfriend [Laughing]
This is tricky to talk about without getting into spoilers but Sloane is often duplicitious so are you playing two scenes each time you film one?
You are always playing two scenes at once. [Thinks] Here's an example. [SCENE REFERENCE DELETED FOR SPOILER SENSITIVITY] When I first read the script I thought this is her 'haha I got you moment' but then in the next scene you realize that's not what that was. There are two things being played: 'I one-upped you' and 'am I really doing this?'
The reason I ask about this is her strong reaction to the word "addict" and the way that affects the plot. How much is rehearsed for her versus what's real?The way the plot moves I'm sure you didn't want her to seem omniscient or the whole thing becomes ridiculous.
She has a knee jerk reaction to that word. I think she was probably raised by the addict. And her biggest addiction is to winning. She knew at some point that her reaction was going to happen. She didn't know what was going to cause it. She knew she was going to get there -- so I know that going in. But she still has to really react in the scenes.
The first time I met you you were promoting The Help and you were bouncing around with so many projects. And you said 'obviously this was an unusual year.' I really thought you'd slow down after that but you haven't... at all!
Well, I'm not doing seven movies a year.
You have four movies next year!
No, two. [Realizing] OH YOU'RE RIGHT -- I finished three! Xavier Dolan's film, Woman Walk Ahead and Zookeeper's Wife. I haven't shot Molly's Game yet.
Jessica in (from left to right) The Help, Zero Dark Thirty, Eleanor Rigby, Mama, A Most Violent Year, The Martian, Crimson Peak, Zookeeper's Wife
How do you recharge? You never seem to take any time off.
I had four months off after Miss Sloane. Sloane is approaching burn-out in the movie and someone asked me recently 'Have you ever felt that?' [Laughs] I did after I finished Miss Sloane. That one was tough. When I have that time off, I see as many plays as I can here in New York. I have a production company and I'm really involved in connecting writers to material.
Slowing down? I won't go to an island for four months. That's just not me. The good thing is my movies are so different. The Huntsman couldn't be more different than Miss Sloane or Crimson Peak. Maybe working in different genres helps me stay interested.
You've done so many genres and worked with so many talented people. Do you have any bucket list items left?
There are people I haven't worked with for sure. I want to do an ensemble movie with Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Amy Adams, Viola Davis... I mean, women don't get to work with each other that often. I loved this movie because I loved working with Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Allison Pill. Oh, and I want to work with Gary Oldman. He's so underappreciated. He's one of our greatest actors and he only has one Oscar nomination. I don't understand that. I mean Isabelle Huppert doesn't have any, so...
The rest of our conversation was off the record, dear reader, but know that we fanned out on Isabelle Huppert, as we are both prone to do. Jessica Chastain's Golden Globe nominated performance as Miss Sloane is in theaters now. Her next feature, The Zookeeper's Wife, opens in theaters in March 2017.