Jessica Chastain studied at the renowned Juilliard School thanks to a generous scholarship from Robin Williams. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Jessica Chastain He cannot believe that his life could be “so wonderful and complete.” A detail that deeply touches the Oscar-winning actress and mother of two children. Especially since his background was completely opposite: he grew up in a low-income family while his single mother worked hard to put bread on the table.
“We had no money. There were many nights when we had to sleep without dinner,” he once told the Irish Times. The Angel of Death actress was able to overcome her insecurities by seeking her own opportunities, studying and working to achieve her dream. However, she also had the help of a star who paved her way to success: Robin Williams.
The Forever Dad actor was one of the most compassionate and generous characters in the history of modern Hollywood. Not only did he advise his colleagues and surprise them with offers of help, but he also often included a clause in his film contracts to provide work for the homeless.
He was even the first to succeed in making people smile. Christopher Reeve when his friend woke up in the hospital to the devastating news of his quadriplegia. But that was not all. Because Robin Williams He was also one of the founders of scholarships at the prestigious Juilliard School, financially providing everything a student needed to have everything, absolutely everything, for two years. AND Jessica Chastain was one of the beneficiaries.
“It was something beautiful. Every two years, [la beca Robin Williams] It was awarded to a student and it paid for all of my education, my accommodation, it allowed me to come home for Christmas and see my family,” Jessica recently told The View. “It was so generous,” she added, noting that the scholarship also paid for his school books and food.
Chastain was so grateful for the opportunity provided by the actor's financial generosity that she wrote him a note “every year” thanking him. He even revealed that he wanted to tell her in person, and even though he had the chance, he missed it out of embarrassment. An act he deeply regrets.
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“One time I was in Los Angeles… and Robin comes into the restaurant, sits down and starts eating. My tablemate said, 'You have to say hello to him, you have to talk to him.'” But Jessica remembers feeling “embarrassed” at that moment, she didn't want to disturb him while he was eating and decided to walk up to him to close when the actor was finished. But then Williams stood up and quickly went to the door. “I should have been late, so I got up to follow him, but I stopped. “I didn’t want to look like a crazy person who was going to attack him or anything like that,” he said.
“And I always regretted it because I never had the opportunity to thank him in person. That's why I always tell people: If you see me in public and want to say hello to me, then please do it because that's something I would like to be done with him,” She said excitedly and with tears in her eyes.
Perhaps without knowing it, Robin Williams helped pave Jessica Chastain's path to success. (Photo by Giovanni Rufino/NBC NewsWire)
And despite the lack of resources and financial problems he had in his childhood, Jessica Chastain He is the first in his family to attend university. And that Robin Williams Scholarship would have been an important stepping stone for her to go far, as it was an accredited school that also allowed her to live in New York, surrounded by talent and the theater scene.
Chastain had developed an interest in acting since childhood by reading Shakespeare on her own (so she stopped attending classes and missed the opportunity to earn a degree alongside her fellow students – she earned a diploma as an adult) and eventually studied at the American School Academy of Dramatic Arts.
However, to complete his studies, he worked in the administration department of the academy to finance the courses (people). At this point, he had the opportunity to attend auditions to study at Juilliard. We don't know how she did it, but she was certainly convincing and talented enough to win the generous Robin Williams Scholarship. A scholarship that allowed him to obtain a bachelor's degree in fine arts and to be exposed to the New York theater world, while his studies and survival were fully paid for.
Robin Williams He awarded this scholarship for several years until his death in 2014. According to the Juilliard School website, his children dedicated a portion of an auction to permanently endow the same scholarship. And the actor was well aware of the importance of scholarships, having been a scholarship recipient himself in 1973. In his case, Williams did not complete his studies, but left Juilliard when he was in his third year because, according to theater director Gerald Freedman, he was a “genius” and the school's conservative and classical style did not match his potential.
Jessica Chastain won the 2022 Oscar for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” (Photo by Allen Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Chastain graduated and signed with a talent agency at a graduation event in Los Angeles. At this point he moved to the city of cinema and began his career in Hollywood (Independent). Although it was not easy and he had to be content with small roles in television series, he continued his passion for theater and took his first steps in the world of cinema. But then everything changed.
In 2011 he released six films: “The Edge of a Lie”, “The Tree of Life”, “Texas Killing Fields”, “Coriolanus”, “Take Shelter” and this year's hit, “Crossed Stories”. In 2012 it was the turn of the acclaimed film “Darkest Night” and since then her rise has continued steadily, winning an Oscar in 2022 for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”.
A path to success wherever Robin Williams It had a lot to do with it. Although he may not have known it.
This article was written exclusively for Yahoo en Español by Cine54.
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