Featured on the April Change Makers issue for Marie Claire, the 'Molly's Game' star opens up about being an outspoken advocate for pay equality among men and women on set.
- Mar 8, 2019
AceShowbiz - Jessica Chastain wishes she could go back in time and tell a flirting producer to back off when he disrespected her.
The unnamed filmmaker came on too strong and the actress admits she often thinks she should have said something.
Speaking to Marie Claire for the magazine's April Change Makers issue, she says, "For months, I tried to make it light, laugh it off. Now I wish I had just told him to f**k off."
The 41-year-old has since become one of Hollywood's most outspoken advocates for fair play and equality and revels in the fact she has often been told to tone down her passion for the cause.
"I've had people tell me, 'You need to be a little more quiet with all this woman talk!" she says.
April cover stars @Ava, @Jes_Chastain, and @ConstanceWu are revolutionizing Hollywood. In the April issue they share why their work with @TimesUpNow affiliate #TimesUpEntertainment is so crucial for inclusion, representation, diversity, and equality. https://t.co/5I9oLUfIXppic.twitter.com/13Xp0IO4BX
— Marie Claire (@marieclaire) March 7, 2019
But regardless of the negativity, the star isn't going to back down when it comes to taking a stand for pay equality among men and women on set.
"I agree there are not as many women as men that have the same experience, but that's because, in the past, women have been actively discriminated against," she explains.
She also notes women behind the scenes don't have the same opportunities as their male counterparts.
"Male directors, who had their first film in Sundance (indie festival), their next offer is a huge action movie," she explains. "Women haven't been given those opportunities, and we need to ask why."
The "Zero Dark Thirty" star also shares that she has learned to place less importance on how others perceive her as she fights for what she believes.
"I used to be so obsessed with wanting to accommodate others," she adds. "All of a sudden, I realised, 'I feel really happy. Why is that?' And it was because I was caring less about what others think of me."
