Right now, I feel I can do anything: Jessica Chastain

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and winner of more than 20 awards for the same role, Jessica Chastain talks to After Hrs about Zero Dark Thirty, her nominations and her future projects...

With more than 20 awards won and more than 15 nominations, how does it feel to be America’s most appreciated actress of 2013?
It is a very humbling experience and I feel elated. My spirits are high and right now, I feel I can do anything!

You seem to have a penchant for diverse roles, be it your role in The Help, The Tree Of Life, Lawless or even Zero Dark Thirty — is this something you consciously do?
I love to play roles that I haven’t played before. I am thankful and happy that I have been offered such awesome roles. As an actor, I take up roles that challenge me and help me explore my abilities.

Your opinion on being called ‘traditionally good-looking’?
I am happy with the label of being  ‘traditionally good-looking’ — it’s what got me the kind of roles I’ve been offered.

Your vegan lifestyle intrigues us...
It’s really simple. I belong to a big pro-veggie family and my mother is a vegan chef.

Playing Maya, the central character in Zero Dark Thirty, must have been quite the experience?
Yes, it was a great experience; it was a very creative and hard working team. Shooting was difficult, we all agree. The atmosphere was dark and depressing and I found that difficult to handle. I got pretty depressed while we were shooting and Kathryn did too.

And working with Kathryn Bigelow...
She’s always been a great hero of mine. I was so excited with the prospect of working with her. And then when I read the script I was so blown away by the role of this woman they were asking me to play. I wanted to thank her for what she did through this film. I feel somewhere Kathryn represents the women of this generation.

How was it working in extremely diverse films as Lawless and Mama?
Both of the characters are extremely different. It’s like you learn to do a lot of things in one and then undo them in the next.

In Lawless, I am Maggie who has been though a lot of hardships and has been hurt both physically and mentally by men. However, the character of Annabel in Mama has a very easy life. She does not want to take up responsibilities and has a sexy boyfriend and lives in a loft. Shooting with the kids in the movie was awesome. I was so impressed with the girls.

Finally, does winning an Oscar for Zero Dark Thirty mean something special to you?
Fingers crossed for the Oscars, it really feels very special and motivated to have even been nominated. I don’t really know how it will change my life, I’ve never won an Oscar before, so let’s wait and see.