Jessica Chastain looks regal in a floor-length patterned dress as she arrives at a special screening of Memory at film event in Los Angeles

Jessica Chastain looked  regal in a floor-length golden dress at a special screening of Memory at the Film Independent event in Los Angeles on Thursday.

The actress, 46, stars alongside Peter Saarsgaard in the new drama as social worker Sylvia who has to confront her traumatic past when she has a surprise encounter with on old classmate.

For the event – which was held at the Harmony Gold in California – Jessica opted for a smart and confident look made up of a patterned gown and formal suit jacket.

The Academy Award-winning star let her red locks flow free as she took her seat at the event.

Jessica seemed in good spirits throughout the evening as she was seen smiling and laughing along with the audience.  

The acclaimed actress struck a confident pose and coupled her patterned dress with a smart suit jacket 

Jessica recently opened up about the preparation she had to do to play her new role on screen, which is her first since her star turn as late televangelist Tammy Faye Messner.

To take on the role of Sylvia – a single mother and recovering alcoholic – the Oscar winner explained that she had to ‘fill in the blanks’ and make her character’s troubled past feel like her own. 

Speaking in a virtual Q&A with Film Independent, she said: ‘With Sylvia, so much is about how we meet her and how she walks through life and what she leads with.

‘She leads with trauma, she leads with the memory of her past.

‘She leads with shame.

‘She’s a sober person, and has been for 13 years and I had to really fill out the blanks of what her life has been to make it as specific as possible.

‘The questions of – what really happened to her?

‘When you make something feel as though you understand memories as if they are your own, it helps me pay the character.’ 

Jessica seemed in good spirits throughout the event and recently explained how she crafted the dramatic part on screen

The Oscar-winning star is now playing a single mother who has to confront her traumatic past out of the blue 

Her lifestyle is a cycle of taking care of her daughter, going to AA meetings, and working… before it all gets flipped upside down

The production is a drama that highlights family trauma and connection, with Chastain playing a character named Sylvia

The dramatic role is Jessica’s first time back on the big screen since she won an Academy Award for her portrayal of celebrity televangelist Tammy Faye Messner (pictured in  March 2022 at the Oscars)

The feature also stars Merritt Wever, Brooke Timber, Jessica Harper, Josh Charles, and Elsie Fisher. 

For the film, Jessica went without a makeup team, did not have a personal trailer, and secured her own wardrobe for the New York film set.

The two main characters eventually form an emotional connection, complicating the way they relate to each other. 

The forthcoming movie will be released on December 22 in New York and Los Angeles, before it’s available in theaters nationally on January 5.