Jessica Chastain on Other Mommy and the Impact of Horror

About this episode

In Other Mommy, Jessica Chastain explores the complexities of motherhood, protection, and family in a haunting story that blurs the line between love and fear. The role is the latest example of the empathy and emotional depth that have defined her career, from Zero Dark Thirty and Interstellar to Crimson Peak and her Academy Award-winning performance in The Eyes of Tammy Faye.

In this episode, Jessica joins Jacqueline Coley to discuss how she found Other Mommy’s unnerving physicality and smile, what drew her to director Rob Savage’s distinct filmmaking perspective, and why she felt protective of the young actress who plays her daughter in the film, Arabella Olivia Clark. She also looks back on Christopher Nolan’s approach to directing her in Interstellar, re-teaming with Andy and Barbara Muschietti on It: Chapter Two, and how her accent in The Eyes of Tammy Faye became an inside joke at her production company, Freckle Films. Jessica reflects on how her love of horror began after seeing Sigourney Weaver in Aliens as a child - for the first time, she saw the strength and resilience of the women who raised her reflected on screen. She also shares her perspective on how horror has transformed over the years and why the genre has become such a powerful space for women to tell stories, break rules, and redefine what a leading role can be.

To watch the movies discussed in this episode and more, head to stream.fandango.com