Jessica Chastain keeps her children and her personal life firmly out of the spotlight meaning fans have rarely seen her son and daughter, Guilietta and Augustus.
But the Molly's Game actress has shared a glimpse into their homelife in interviews revealing how her offspring's childhood is vastly different from her own.
Jessica, 46 - who was recently nominated for a Tony award for her performance on Broadway in A Doll's House - did not have an affluent upbringing and was raised in poverty with her mom struggling to feed her five children.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, she said: "I don’t talk about it much, but it was really, um, it was not what you would expect. When people see me, I think they expect a different background than I have."
Jessica continued: "I grew up with a lot of resentment, because we didn’t have things, like even food."
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In contrast, her husband, Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo, comes from an Italian noble family. Her experience has made her "angry" but also determined that others shouldn't struggle the way she did - including her own children.
© Getty Images"Because I come from that place, I know what it’s like. And it makes me angry. And I don’t [want] anyone else to be denied anything. In terms of a voice, being seen, being acknowledged and valued," she said.
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"There were people that saw I was struggling as a kid and they helped me. And that’s why I ended up where I am now."
© Getty ImagesSpeaking to the Evening Standard, Jessica divulged heartbreaking details of the extent she her family went to in order to get food. "We stole food at the store because we didn’t have any money. And some people knew she was doing it but didn’t stop her. So there is kindness everywhere."
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Jessica and Gian, who married in 2017, reportedly welcomed their first daughter in 2018 via surrogate and their second child in 2020.When collecting an Oscar in 2022, Jessica finally divulged her son's name by saying: "Giulietta and Augustus, you are my heart."
© Getty ImagesNow, they are raising their children to believe they can be anything they want to be and strive to help them to carve out a happy future for them. "Normally I never talk about my personal life," she said during an interview with Marie Claire in December 2022.
"But I had a conversation with my daughter not that long ago and when you're talking to kids it's like, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' 'I want to be a ballerina.' And she was like, 'I want to be a mama.' And I was like, 'That's a great thing to be. But you know, you can be more than one thing.' She's like, 'What do you mean?'
© Getty Images"I said, 'Well, look at me, honey. I'm a mama. I'm an actress. I'm a producer. I'm a business owner. I'm a friend. I'm a cook.' I started listing all these things," Jessica continued. "Like, I am many things, so you can be whatever you want. "You can be the president. You can be a ballerina. You can be a mama. And it was so shocking for her to hear all of this."
And fighting for the opportunity to be a mother and a career woman, Jessica added: "I think for the longest time it's been like, you're either a career woman or you're home. It's like, there's no such thing," she added. "Men have been able to do both for years. Let's just make it possible for everyone."
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