She recently applauded Salma Hayek for coming forward with her sexual harassment allegation against Harvey Weinstein.
But Jessica Chastain is determined to raise awareness to the stories of sexual misconduct coming not just entertainment, but in every part of society.
‘It’s more than just a Hollywood issue,’ the actress, 40, explained on the Today show as she promoted her film Molly’s Game on Friday. ‘It’s a society-wide issue.’
‘It’s more than just a Hollywood issue’: Jessica Chastain is determined to raise awareness to the issue as it can be found not just in entertainment, but in all parts of society
‘I think a lot of attention is on Hollywood right now because we’re in the media and actresses and we have a very large platform, but I think it would be a grave injustice to ignore other women in other industries ’cause it’s, like I said, it’s a society-wide problem,’ she told Carson Daly.
‘There was a beautiful letter written to the actresses of Hollywood from women working as farm workers and what they go through every day, and they were saying, “Listen, we don’t have the attention that women in Hollywood have, but please don’t ignore us, this is something we face everyday too.”‘
Jessica was referencing a letter written on behalf of 700,000 women in farming by the Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, which stood in solidarity with women in Hollywood.
‘It’s important that we re-examine how we perceive gender in our society,’ Jessica added.
‘It would be a grave injustice to ignore other women in other industries’: Chastain spoke about the importance of recognizing other industries
‘There was a beautiful letter written to the actresses’: The 40-year-old referenced a letter written by the Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, standing in solidarity with women in Hollywood
Showing her support: Jessica had just applauded Salma Hayek for coming forward with her sexual harassment allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein
Jessica had just applauded Salma Hayek for coming forward with her sexual harassment allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein.
‘I thank you @salmahayek for sharing your story. Your voice is important and needed right now. You are creating a place of great healing,’ she tweeted on Wednesday.
When allegations against Harvey first started to break in the news, Jessica revealed she had already been previously warned about him.
Vocal: When allegations against Harvey first started broke in the news, Jessica revealed she had already been previously warned about him
Drumming up interest: Jessica was appearing on the Today show to promote her upcoming film Molly’s Game, which is based on the true story of Molly Bloom
‘I was warned from the beginning,’ she tweeted in October. ‘The stories were everywhere. To deny that is to create an enviornment for it to happen again.’
Jessica was appearing on the Today show to promote her upcoming film Molly’s Game, which is based on the true story of Molly Bloom.
She’s already landed a Golden Globe nomination for her role, as has the film’s screenplay, which was written by Molly’s Game director Aaron Sorkin.
Sleek and chic: The actress rocked an edgy leather jacket and floral print dress
The film is based on Molly’s memoir, Molly’s Game: From Hollywood’s Elite to Wall Street’s Billionaire Boys Club, My High-Stakes Adventure in the World of Underground Poker.
‘I have a feeling like all women are strong, and our films and our media, we don’t show that part of women, you know? And this was a character, when I read it on the page, I was so blown away by yes – she is strong, she is intelligent. But she has vulnerability and fragility and because it’s Aaron Sorkin, there’s social commentary in this film, and that was really inspiring to me.’
Speaking of her character Molly, who ran high-stakes poker games and was eventually targeted by the FBI, Jessica said: ‘This film is about a woman, I guess in any industry, we try to become successful in an industry where men are creating the rules. The film really explores patriarchy,’ she explained.
Molly’s Game will be released on January 5, 2018.
Acclaimed: She’s already landed a Golden Globe nomination for her role, as has the film’s screenplay, which was written by Molly’s Game director Aaron Sorkin
Out next year: Molly’s Game will be released on January 5, 2018