Jessica Chastain talks pay gap, #MeToo and starring in biopic Molly’s Game (EXCLUSIVE)

Directed by Aaron Sorkin and starring Idris Elba, Chastain discusses her meetings with the real life Molly Bloom, and whether she had any preconceptions before they first met.

She also speaks about the pointed relevance of this film in a contemporary climate, as a film that holds much resonance in light of the #MeToo movement in Hollywood.

One of the many interesting things about this fascinating story is that Molly Bloom is operating in a world largely circumscribed my men.
Yeah, in this film we see Molly in many situations where she is following the rules that are laid out to her by men. In her family, her industry and the government. I thought it was a really interesting character to play, but also to have someone like Aaron Sorkin, who is such a political filmmaker and does such incredible social commentary, working on a film that deals with gender politics, I found it really fascinating to be a part of.

So you met Molly Bloom presumably?
Yes, Aaron introduced Molly and I at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles, which I thought was very fitting, and she was wonderful, she was a great resource for me in creating the character, and talking to her about what she feeling what she thought about the players. Even little thing about clothing and how to present herself during the game, and also in addition to that I wanted to talk to people who knew Molly. So I met with some of the players who played in her games and I went to a New York game and sat in, and it was very helpful.

Did you have any preconceptions about her before you met her?
Yeah I think I had the same preconceptions that Aaron Sorkin had. I Googled her and I noticed that I was starting to have this judgement against her. I was watching some interviews and I saw some journalist not be so nice to her and I wondered what her goal is in all of this. And then I realised that the media was conditioning me to feel that way. A woman is most valuable for her sexual attractiveness and then the media tears her down afterwards, For me was very much a Kardashian story. I had the pictures of the Kardashians all over my trailer, in a sense that I was thinking, who are the most powerful women in this society we live in, and how did they get their power? And for me it was the Kardashians.

Do you think the movie has special resonance in light of the #MeToo campaign?
There’s a great moment, and it’s one of my favourite scenes, on the park bench with Kevin Costner. He starts out the scene by saying “you wanted to have power over powerful men” and most people grab onto that line and they keep it. But at the end of the scene, she says, “I wanted to have power over powerful men?” and he says, “No, I just said that to make you mad”. Because in reality she wanted to have power over her own life, she wanted to have power over her body, over her industry. We’re living in a society where women are now speaking to that. It’s not about having power over men, it’s about having power over our agency. For me, the film is very timely. I’m so proud to be a part of this, and to be alive right now in this time, where so many women are coming forward and so many men are allies in creating gender equality.

When you saw the script what were your first impressions, and why did you agree to do this movie?
Before I even opened the script I kinda knew I was going to say yes to it. I’ve always wanted to work with Aaron Sorkin. When I started reading it, I was so blown away that for his directorial debut he would put his attention on this, the female protagonist. A lot of people in the industry, who have been in the industry for many, many years, haven’t done that, and so I was really pleased he was focusing on this.

There are at least two men in this film that try to cap Molly’s pay and you’ve spoken very eloquently about the issues you’ve had with pay disparity, and you’ve taken a very powerful stand. How big a problem do you still think it is? And how difficult was it speaking out about it?
I think there’s a lot of attention right now on actresses and Hollywood just because the media really is focused on that. But I think it’s also really important to recognise that what’s happening in Hollywood is not only happening in Hollywood, it’s a problem that is happening in society, in terms of equality and harassment. There was an article written to the actresses of Hollywood by over seven hundred thousand female farmworkers, talking about what they suffer to try and get food onto the table for their children. So whenever I discuss wage equality, I’m not talking about trying to get more money for people in Hollywood, because let’s be honest, we are all over-compensated, we’re paid very well. If there are two people working a job, and one man is making ten dollars an hour and the woman is making three dollars an hour, it’s not right. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, there needs to be some sense of equality. I just don’t understand why we’re still even having this conversation. For me, I have definitely taken a stand and I’m very proactive and I ask my agents what other people are getting paid, like if someone is bringing me onto a film I’ll ask the actor their salary. I just think there should be more transparency.

Do they tell you?
If they want me to do the film with them they will.

You’ve had the chance here to play a really strong, female character. How often do you see this opportunity come up in the industry? And also, what similarities, or differences would you associate between yourself and Molly Bloom?
For me there’s a big difference, because I see every woman as being a strong one. I think that in the media and in films especially, they’re just not well written female characters, so they haven’t portrayed them to be strong. I’ve had a problem with that. So I always search for well-written female characters which means that they’re not there defined by the men in their life, they’re defined by what they do and what they say. Which, shockingly, is rare to find those characters. Not any more with me, I’m really lucky that people and my friends, actors and writers know that if they send me a script and it’s not a great female character I’m going to tell them. So for the most part I’m sent really well-written female characters. But, what’s also interesting to me is that a strong female character can be ambitious and aggressive and intelligent, but she can also be gentle and kind and compassionate and shy, but also have a great strength to them. There’s no characteristics that define what strength is in women, all women are strong.

Molly’s Game is out now on DVD and Blu-ray.