Hollywood star Jessica Chastain reveals she was inspired to act 'really young'

LOS ANGELES — Hollywood star Jessica Chastain said that she felt inspired while watching a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as a child.

The actress, who is thrilled that she's managed to fulfil her ambitions, told Variety: "My grandmother took me. It was the first time I realised it was a job that people could have, and after watching it, I was like, ‘Oh, I’m an actor.’"

Chastain was always encouraged to follow her dreams and she admits "that helped a lot".

The actress said: "I felt it really young. Even though I dropped out of high school and went back and got my diploma later on, I was voted ‘Most Talented’ in our yearbook.”

“So very early on, I was getting feedback that it was something I was good at, and that helped a lot."

Chastain feels that Salome, the 2013 drama movie that also starred Hollywood legend Al Pacino, was a turning point in her career, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"It’s something I think is really important for actors to learn, and it was such an example in that scenario, that one person’s opinion isn’t everyone else’s. All of a sudden, I started from nothing to get leads, and it was because people went to see that play — and they thought I did a good job."

Chastain is now keen to "push people a little bit outside their comfort zone" with her future film projects.

She said: "There was a few years where I was saying, ‘Please, can we stop saying strong female character?' The reality is biologically, women have a stronger threshold of pain than men — they give birth — so all women are strong.”

“But I’m excited to play characters that are really complex, where I’m OK if someone leaves my film and goes, ‘I’m not sure I liked it.’ I want to push people a little bit outside their comfort zone."