During awards season, Jessica Chastain made some minor headlines for accessorizing with a face mask. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I thought maybe it was a way for her to stand out a bit, but I figured she was just wearing it out of an abundance of caution and didn’t give much thought to a specific reason. It turns out it was both an abundance of caution and a specific reason — she was on Broadway in “A Doll’s House” at the time and wanted to make sure she didn’t get sick and have to miss a show.
Jessica Chastain says she wasn’t attempting to make a “political statement” when she wore a mask at award shows this past season.
The Zero Dark Thirty star, 46, shared at The Hollywood Reporter’s annual Tony Nominees Roundtable that she got some criticism after she was spotted at several awards shows wearing a face mask in order to prevent contracting COVID-19 while she tackled the leading role on Broadway in Henrik Ibsen’s iconic play, A Doll’s House.
“We were testing every day on our show, and even if you had no symptoms, if you tested positive for COVID, you were out for a week — and I was meeting people at the stage door who flew in from Shanghai and flew in from all over the world. To be out of the show for a week? It just felt like it was so irresponsible,” said Chastain, who received a Tony Award nomination for her role.
But not everyone understand her instinct to take precautions.
“So I was wearing the mask at the Oscars. I got quite a lot of flak for that. A lot of people thought I was making some political statement. I don’t know what they thought,” she shared with the group.
Josh Groban, who also participated in the roundtable, cut in, telling her, “theater people knew. We knew.”
“Well, OK, good,” Chastain replied. “I’ll tell you, the best thing is someone at the stage door gave me a mask that said, ‘I’m On Broadway.’ But yeah, the SAG Awards, the Oscars, a lot of people were like, ‘What are you doing?!’ I just couldn’t get sick. And I didn’t. I haven’t missed a show.”
Back in January at the Golden Globe Awards, a Twitter user posted a picture of Chastain in her mask, which matched her sparkling silver gown, along with a caption that read “and you know who didn’t get COVID at the Golden Globes?”
Chastain retweeted the post, adding “Phew!”
While walking the red carpet at the Golden Globes, Chastain explained her reasoning for masking up at the big bash.
“I’m doing a play right now in New York. I’m going to be doing A Doll’s House. I’m playing Nora,” she shared. “I’m really excited about that. I’m a little nervous about getting sick but I got my mask, I’m doing both. But also you have to be so careful in the theater because I don’t want to let my cast down.”
Several other stars did catch the virus following the award ceremony, including Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Chastain also paired her Gucci gown with a black mask at the Oscars, though she appeared unmasked during the red carpet and while presenting the award for Best Actress.
Jessica’s reasons are pretty solid here. Maybe covid isn’t as deadly due to the vaccines, but it still sucks. When I had it in the winter, I had literally every symptom except shortness of breath and I was flat on my back for a week. I mean, perhaps the understudy was disappointed she didn’t get to show her chops, but Jessica was really being considerate of everyone by wearing a mask. If she’d gotten covid, it could have spread to the rest of the cast and stage crew as well as audience members. Also, if people are paying to see Jessica Chastain, they want to see Jessica Chastain, no matter how talented the understudy is. That’s just what happens when movie stars take on Broadway shows. Also, she did the right thing because a bunch of people got covid at the Golden Globes, and now she’s nominated for a Tony! My one quibble would be that she didn’t necessarily need to invoke people traveling from Shanghai in any context to make her point.
Photos credit: Robin Platzer/Twin Images/Avalon, Darla Khazei/Avalon, Getty
I was masking everywhere prior to my hip replacement surgery last week. It felt so weird during my pre op appointment when not all the medical people were!
They didn’t require a COVID test prior either, which really blew my mind 😨 There was no way I was going to let having symptoms postpone my surgery!
I’m always glad to seeing people masking and assume they have a good reason.
I work remote now, and I have avoided that yearly cold I used to get from the people in the office. It’s been great.
I wish the US normalized wearing masks more during cold and flu season instead of assuming it’s some sort of political message. I don’t want your viruses!
Fuzzy Crocodile- YES! From now on I just think it’s common courtesy to stay home or wear a mask if you have cold symptoms etc. but also I’m going to be wearing them when cold & flu viruses are spreading in the community. Whether it is COVID or any of the other respiratory germs that are out there, it just makes sense to mask up now that we know how effective they are at preventing transmission.
Ridiculous that she needed to explain that and got slack. Love how the republicants have now made it so that it’s “political” to care about your health and that of others. They really do want to weed people out.
If I see someone wearing a mask I assume they have a reason to be extra concerned about an illness or they have cold symptoms
I still wear a mask no matter where I go. And when someone enters my home a mask is required. I suffer from chronic pain and when I get sick, it’s ten worse than for others. I have a depleted immune system and I cannot afford to get sick. I live in Texas and most of the community has never been vaccinated so I must take precautions. The coronavirus is not done with us and the sooner everyone realizes these facts the better.
I still mask too. I get funny looks but I don’t care. Covid is not “over” as so many are claiming. Do people watch the news? Just see what’s going on in China and India. Huge Covid cases from a new variant.
Same here. You never know what people are going through, or what they have planned. I still see masks occasionally, and I wear one in a medical setting, and when I was sick a few weeks ago and had to go out.
We just went through a horrific pandemic – who is still questioning someone wearing a mask? Who still thinks it’s a “political statement”?
I work in biomedical research, where I have to mask for hours on end. Have done for ages, and never experienced any of those ‘side effects’ the anti-maskers created out of thin air. Neither have colleagues affected by asthma.
I don’t get how people ever thought it would be a good idea to stop masking anywhere indoors. Our whole family still masks for public transport, when shopping, at the cinema. And we won’t stop — even if and when we get *those* looks.
Long Covid is a fact, as are long-term health issues like vascular diseases, respiratory disorders and everything else like strokes, cardiac arrests etc etc
Long clap here. I can’t believe they politicized masks. Masks mitigate viral loads. Who wouldn’t want to do that.
Yes!
It’s sad that she, or anyone who continues to wear masks in public, indoors at gatherings, gets flack. Like whoever is throwing shade or flack at someone wearing a mask … what do you care? What business is it of yours?
I still mask up a lot of the time because I have a close family member who is medically vulnerable and would never want to spread anything to her and a friend with long Covid, which is NOT a thing I’d ever want to deal with because it’s scary and life changing (not in a good way).
The politicization of mask wearing and basic disease control measures was and is abhorrent.
There was a period last year where we had a LOT going on at our farm that required long days of work, and conveniently my husband was out of town for over a week 🤣. I could NOT get sick. Staying in bed was not going to be an option if I felt like crap, so…. I wore a mask and was careful when I went out! 😷
Good for her. I had to go to a walk-in clinic last week because of my eye, and you best believe I put a mask on. People coughing and sniffling all in the place but not a mask in sight. But of course I live in the South where Covid vaccines are some vast conspiracy as though we didn’t have to have a whole list of vaccines to even attend school. I hate living here for real.
I took the Shanghai/all over the world comment to mean she didn’t want to disappoint people who come from far and away to see a Broadway show and are excited to see her
Yes, I thought the same… I feel this was an obvious reference, like, she probably met a huge fan from Shanghai and that’s why she used that place in her example.
I agree. JT has never stood out to be someone who is of the mind of one that is racist of any ethnicity.
I’ve been masking everywhere outside my own apartment for over three years now and I don’t know if or when I’ll ever stop. I haven’t shared a meal with anyone in that time, which I know sounds extreme, but I work in food service in a retirement home and feel responsible for protecting the population. I also am very susceptible to respiratory illnesses, to the point that I have scar tissue in one lung, and I haven’t missed the annual bronchitis! I don’t judge others for their choices and don’t care what anyone else thinks about mine. 🤷
I just had a rather nasty bout of bronchitis. It was miserable.
You are a good soul for caring about the residents the way you do.
Thank you. ☺️ Here’s hoping things settle down, though I’m not expecting it soon. Another retirement home in the area is having a Covid outbreak. 😐
I take metro to work and best believe I’m still masking. People are still catching the respiratory illnesses that kids swapped this year plus covid. I will never put myself at risk for long covid.
But the politicizing of masks should remind people what the gop is all about. And we as a people are watching I real time their push to create less options unless it’s their option for all Americans.
Josh Groban is right: “theater people get it.” My sister works in the theaters here in Boston and the traveling shows coming through are extremely careful. The actors isolate themselves, mask up backstage, limit who can go backstage more than before; and no longer do stage door but every play she has worked since the theaters re-opened has had to swap out actors due to Covid and several have had to cancel performances completely because not enough cast members were healthy.
I live in a community north of Boston with a large Asian population. My neighbors have worn masks in public whenever they have cold symptoms since the days of H1N1 because they were used to doing so back home. They view it as being considerate of others not to spread germs. People have the right to protect themselves and others from airborne diseases and everyone else needs to back off.
I love her. It just makes sense. I am in FL and I have been seeing a few more masks than usual.
It’s a shame that she needs to explain herself. It’s her face and body it’s no one’s business how she chooses to protect it.
I was just at a large funeral. You better believe I was masked. There was well over a hundred people in that room. I don’t know if those people weren’t sick. I wear mask to keep from getting Covid again. Bc I caught it from an unvaccinated person at my sisters wedding last year. And my dumb ass didn’t wear a mask. So never again. I can only control myself.
It’s WILD to me that she has to defend herself like this.
Around 3,000 Americans per month are still dying of Covid and around 40% of those deaths are vaccinated patients. It’s less deadly with the vaccine, yes, but it can still kill you, and every bit of defense helps.
I had my first bout of Covid during the Oscars. I was coughing up a lung while watching the Oscars. There was beautiful Jessica all masked up and I loved her for it.
I thought it was for her new play, she had a loved one she was protecting or she didn’t want Hollywood germs.
It is sad she has to explain herself.