With Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey (which I'm eagerly anticipating) right around the corner, I thought it an opportune time to talk about Nolan’s other Odyssey movie - that being of the space variety, a.k.a. Interstellar.

While Interstellar isn’t exactly Nolan’s version of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, many would say that it’s just as ambitious in scope as what many consider to be Kubrick’s best movie. In fact, a lot of people consider Interstellar (which you can watch with a Paramount+ subscription) to be Nolan’s best movie, with this website even putting it at number one when we ranked his films.

However, even though I write for this website, I have NEVER been of the opinion that Interstellar was Nolan’s best. In fact, I genuinely think it’s one of his worst (though not as bad as Tenet), and for multiple reasons. Here are just a few. And yes, there are spoilers ahead!

I Always Found The Whole S-T-A-Y Scene To Be Predictable And Mawkish

There was a moment when I first saw Interstellar that was make-or-break for me. Early on in the film, Murphy, who is Cooper’s daughter, thinks there’s a ghost in her room. One such incident sees books knocked on Murphy’s floor, seemingly out of nowhere, and it spells out “S-T-A-Y” in Morse code.

Now, when I first saw this movie, I made a quick-time decision. In my head, I thought, this “ghost” is probably Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) communicating with his daughter from the future, because that’s a very sci-fi concept, especially when you’re dealing with time dilation, which I figured this movie was probably heading toward since it dealt with black holes. So, I was like, if this IS Cooper sending this message back to his daughter, I’m going to hate this movie because that’s really obvious. If it’s NOT what I predict, then this movie might have a shot at being good with me.

And…it was exactly what I predicted. Cooper found himself in a tesseract toward the end, and he was telling himself to stay and not go on this mission, which I found super mawkish and lame. I mean, one reason I used to love Nolan was that he was unflinching, and even cruel at times in his storytelling. The Prestige, which is my favorite Nolan movie, is fascinating, but also stark, with nary a maudlin moment. The same goes for Inception, which ends ambiguously, so we don’t know if it’s a happy ending or not.

Interstellar just feels…cheesy to me, and that’s not a word that I ever thought I would associate with Nolan until this movie.

I Genuinely Don't Like Any Of The Characters

Another problem I have with this film is that I don’t care about any of the characters. I usually like McConaughey, but Cooper is so bland in this movie, and I have no idea why. His children, who we see both as young (Mackenzie Foy and Timothee Chalamet), and as adults (Jessica Chastain and Casey Affleck, respectively) don’t do anything for me, and I’m sorry to say this, but I don’t care if they die on earth or not. They just never moved me in any way.

Anne Hathaway plays a NASA scientist floating around with McConaughey, but I don’t find her interesting, even WITH her being the daughter of Michael Caine’s character, who I feel also isn’t interesting. Heck, I don’t even like Matt Damon as the, I guess you can call him the “bad guy” of the film (And get this. His name is Dr. Hugh Mann…Get it? Hu-man? Oh, brother). Damon appears late in the film trying to get back home (Hmmm…wasn’t Damon in another space movie like that?), and he fudges the numbers in order to get a lift back.

Look. I know Nolan isn't always on his A game when it comes to crafting interesting characters. Shoot, if it weren't for films like Memento, Insomnia, and Oppenheimer, I might even suggest that Nolan is kind of…lacking when it comes to characterization. Interstellar (and Tenet. Remember when John David Washington's character was simply known as…The Protagonist?) is still on another level when it comes to weak characters.

Which wouldn't be such a bad thing if this movie felt sterile and cold like 2001, but it doesn't. It's supposed to find the Hugh-Mann-ity (I’m sorry) in the vastness of space, and it just…doesn't. Not for me, anyway.

I Thought Nolan Somehow Made Even Wormholes And Black Holes Boring

When we first heard that Tenet was going to be about entropy, I was like, cool. I don’t really know what entropy is, but I know it has something to do with time travel since that’s what Primer was about, too…I think. Anyway, if Nolan used to do anything well in his career, it was to take these scientific concepts and make them interesting.

So, when we learned that black holes would play a significant role in Interstellar, I was game. I mean, Nolan made a dream machine cool in Inception, and he turned Batman on his pointy head with the Dark Knight trilogy by making it “realistic,” so I was looking forward to Nolan’s take on black holes.

Until I saw the movie, and was just bored by it. Yes, it pays to watch Interstellar on as big a screen as possible, but besides some of the visuals being kind of interesting, I think Nolan made black holes a little boring.

It’s a visual feast for the eyes, and, as my late mother once said, “Really cool if you were on something.” However, the wormhole and black hole scenes in Interstellar are just kind of…mid. I don’t know how else to put it. How Nolan made such cool concepts boring, I don’t know, but he did.

I Also Didn't Think Any Of The Planets Explored Were All That Interesting

There was this video game that came out a few years back called Starfield, and even though I didn’t play it, one complaint I kept seeing over and over again from critics was that there were so many planets (like, 1000 or something), but there was virtually nothing to do on them. They were just, like, there, and you could explore them, but why would you even want to?

Now, maybe this has been updated since its 2023 launch, but I get a similar feeling with Interstellar, as there are three planets that are visited - Miller’s Planet, Mann’s Planet, and Edmunds’ Planet - and they’re all even more boring than the last.

Miller’s Planet is the ocean one with the huge waves, and even though it’s cool that time goes faster there…it’s still just a water planet. It looks like something you might find on Earth. The same goes for Mann’s Planet, as it’s just a cold planet, which is dull. And then you have Edmunds’ Planet, which is another bland place, but this one seems suitable for habitation.

That’s it. Like the rest of the film, I’m just left underwhelmed, and this is made worse with a rewatch, as I already know how dull the planets are, so there’s nothing to look forward to. I mean, I don’t know. People love this movie so much, and I just don’t see what the big deal is. Hopefully the actual The Odyssey will be much better (and I’ve heard good things!), because Nolan’s space odyssey? This just ain’t it, man.

Christopher Nolan is famous for being a “serious” director. He is responsible for his Oscar-winning direction of Oppenheimer and for one of the best superhero movies ever, The Dark Knight. He also has a reputation for being incredibly particular about how he makes films, from insisting on theatrical experiences to shooting projects like his upcoming 2026 calendar release, The Odyssey, entirely on IMAX cameras. And I'm not even getting into those alleged chair bans on set. Basically, it should come as no surprise that his script's security has a bit of cinematic weirdness, too. According to Jessica Chastain, he only sends his actors red scripts.

In an Instagram video shared by director and photographer Aidan Tanner, Jessica Chastain broke down some of her marked-up scripts from Interstellar and The Eyes of Tammy Faye. She confirmed one of Nolan's behind-the-scenes habits: he sends his actors red scripts. The choice was originally meant to prevent copies from being made, but now it's also seemingly just his thing.

As the Zero Dark Thirty star flipped through the script in the clip, she paused to point out the small countermeasure the filmmaker takes to protect his stories.

Talk about a Christopher Nolan detail that obviously feels both practical and slightly absurd in the best way. Red paper makes a script harder to photocopy clearly, which helps protect the story from leaking. It also makes the object itself feel special, almost like a classified document from some secret film bunker.

For a movie like Interstellar, streaming with a Paramount+ subscription, I get it. Nolan’s best films often depend on carefully controlled information. The audience is not supposed to know too much too soon. Whether he is bending time, hiding a reveal or letting a character’s emotional arc snap into place late in the story, the experience is built around discovery. A leaked script could ruin some of that before the movie ever reaches theaters.

Still, what I love most about Chastain’s clip is that it quickly becomes less about Nolan’s secrecy and more about her acting process. The red script was the flashy piece of trivia, but the markings were where the real work was happening.

She explained the changes she made to a scene in the 2014 sci-fi thriller, Interstellar:

Chastain was not just reading the script as written and treating every direction like a commandment. She was adjusting the dialogue so it sounded more alive to her. She was crossing out emotional instructions because she did not want to pre-plan the moment too tightly. That little “Starts Crying” note says a lot. Some actors might use that as a target. She saw it as something that could get in the way.

There is also a funny contrast here. The Prestige filmmaker can do everything possible to keep a script from being copied, passed around or spoiled -- though as Cillian Murphy wryly noted to 60 Minutes in a separate Oppenheimer interview about the red scripts, "But I don’t know who photocopies in 2024." Once that script reaches an actor, he or she seems willing to let it become something more personal.

The red pages show how carefully the moviemaker protects his stories, while Chastain’s notes show how an actor helps make those stories breathe. Good filmmaking needs both sides of that equation: a director protective enough to guard the vision, and wise enough to give collaborators room to explore it.

Christopher Nolan’s next big film, The Odyssey, lands in theaters on July 17.

September has been a good month for streaming, with several new shows and films debuting to keep fans entertained. If there’s one streaming platform that perhaps hasn’t been as represented over the last few weeks, it’s Apple TV+, but that was apparently because the streamer was saving everything for this week. Apple has three different items worth checking out this week, but they’re certainly not the only ones with things you won’t want to miss.

Marvel Zombies - September 24 (Disney+)

In the first season of Marvel’s What If…? We got an animated adaptation of the popular Marvel Zombies storyline. The episode was so popular that it was turned into its own series, and after years of waiting (including two additional seasons of What If…? )Marvel Zombies is finally ready to debut with your Disney+ subscription, and continue the story of what happens when the entire MCU gets hungry for brains.

Slow Horses, Season 5 - September 24 (Apple TV+)

One of the consistently great shows on television has been Slow Horses. It’s without question a reason to have an Apple TV+ subscription. In addition to each season of the Gary Oldman-led series about British spies telling compelling stories, it’s also been done with incredible speed. Barley more than three years after Season 1 debuted, Season 5 will arrive, and there’s no reason to believe it won’t be fantastic.

House Of Guinness - September 25 (Netflix)

While fans of Peaky Blinders are certainly waiting for the forthcoming film The Immortal Man, those willing to give another period drama filled with intrigue and backstabbing, and who have a Netflix subscription, will get their wish this week. Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders, is also the mind behind the new drama House of Guinness, which follows the four children of the founder of the brewery empire.

All Of You - September 26 (Apple TV+)

The world knows Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent, the foul-mouthed footballer from Ted Lasso. But before Ted Lasso Season 4 arrives on the streamer, Goldstein will take a dramatic turn in All of You, a romantic story that questions the definition of the term soulmate. It will be a different look at Goldstein (who also co-wrote the film), but one that has already impressed critics who saw the film at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The Savant - September 26 (Apple TV+)

Jessica Chastain was nominated for an Oscar for a film about a woman who played a key role in taking down a terrorist threat halfway around the world. In The Savant, she’ll take on the role of a woman skilled at stopping terrorist threats at home. In this house, when Jessica Chastain does, well, basically, anything, we pay attention, so we’ll be watching.

It's a solid week, but October is right around the corner, so get ready for the spooky season to go into full swing very soon. You can be sure all streamers will be introducing new horror content, and highlighting what's already there.

It’s been 12 years since I last watched Katherine Bigelow’s fantastic war film about the hunting and killing of Osama Bin Laden, Zero Dark Thirty. The movie was released a mere 20 months after the raid on the Bin Laden compound by SEAL Team Six that took the terrorist out. That is a pretty remarkable turnaround time, and when I saw it, I really wondered how accurate the movie was. Recently, Netflix dropped an excellent docuseries in the 2025 TV schedule called American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden, and so I decided to rewatch the Jessica Chastain-led film and see how accurate it really was.

The Answer Is Complicated, But Basically, The Movie Does A Great Job

I will admit I’m no expert on covert affairs or the details of the Bin Laden hunt, but I’m old enough to have followed all the news from 9/11 until that fateful day in May 2011 when then-President Obama made the announcement that Bin Laden had been located and killed. I knew the basics: the raid by SEAL Team Six occurred in a compound in a small town in Pakistan, and a number of people in Bin Laden’s family and some close associates were taken out. Beyond that, I didn't know much.

The first detailed account of the mission I ever really saw was, in fact, Zero Dark Thirty in 2013. I am a big fan of historical movies, and though this history was recent, it fell right into a genre I love, but also one of which I am inherently skeptical. Even the best movies based on real historical events often make a hash of the truth, or at least change enough to make the truth a little murkier for various reasons.

This was especially true of a movie like Zero Dark Thirty. How much info was really available to the public and the filmmakers so soon after the event that changed the world? This was a covert affair led mostly by the CIA. There must be some aspects they hadn’t discussed publicly yet, surely, I told myself. Well, after watching the Netflix series, and assuming the CIA agents interviewed in it aren’t lying (I know, I know, “assume” at my own risk), it turns out Zero Dark Thirty was pretty accurate.

There Are Some Changes, Of Course, But The Biggest Is Well Done

One of the biggest changes, and one that seems to have drawn the most ire from experts, is that Bigelow condensed a number of CIA analysts into one character, Maya, played by Jessica Chastain in one of her finest roles. Having the character played by a woman was no mistake, nor was it Bigelow pushing any kind of agenda; it was somewhat factually accurate.

One thing that really caught my attention in American Manhunt was just how many of the analysts who worked on the Bin Laden case, especially the ones who refused to let it go even when the Bush administration de-emphasized the search, were women. It makes total sense for a female character to represent those within the CIA who refused to give up the hunt and worked until he was found.

The Oscar-nominated Zero Dark Thirty is not perfect historically, especially the depiction of torture, but in a broad sense, the movie gets the story of the hunt correct. For that, I have a new respect for it beyond just my admiration for it being a great movie.

The Academy Award for Best Actress has been handed out every year since 1929 — it was initially awarded to star Janet Gaynor for her roles in 7th Heaven, Street Angel, and Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans — and in the near-century since, it's been presented 97 times to 79 actresses. Winning that coveted statuette is unsurprisingly a dream come true for many a big-screen performer, but the award does come with added attention on the actress's next projects. Will whatever they work on next be as critically acclaimed or commercially successful? Here are 32 films that Oscar-winning actresses did after taking home the Academy Award, and how they were received.

Emma Stone

The whole La La Land Oscars brouhaha at the 2018 ceremony was quite memorable, but clearly so was star Emma Stone's performance as aspiring actress Mia Dolen opposite Ryan Gosling's jazz pianist Seb Wilder. One of Stone's best movies, the role earned the star her first Best Actress win (she would strike gold yet again with her 2024 victory for Poor Things). Her next performance also stirred up awards buzz: she was nominated for a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award for portraying tennis legend Billie Jean King in the sports drama Battle of the Sexes.

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep's history with the Academy Awards is long and legendary: over her decades-spanning career, she's been nominated for a record 21 Oscar nominations, winning thrice. After taking home the Supporting Actress statuette for Kramer vs. Kramer, Streep got her first big Best Actress win for one of her most iconic performances: as the titular character of the devastating 1982 drama Sophie's Choice. Her next role was just as haunting: as Karen Silkwood in the 1983 thriller Silkwood, for which she earned yet another Best Actress nod.

Michelle Yeoh

Along with kicking major butt, Michelle Yeoh made history with her starring role as Evelyn Quan Wang in the 2022 action-dramedy Everything Everywhere All at Once, for she became the first Asian performer to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. Following that notable win in 2023, the Wicked star lent her voice to the sci-fi flick Transformers: Rise of the Beasts as Airazor, a Maximal warrior who transforms into a peregrine falcon. That title earned largely mixed reviews, and it currently sports a 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jessica Chastain

After losing out on the Oscar for Zero Dark Thirty, Jessica Chastain took the Best Actress trophy home for her transformative role as televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker in the 2022 bio-drama The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Her next project was far less successful with awards bodies — the action-spy thriller The 355 was both a critical and commercial bomb, reportedly losing Universal an estimated $93 million. Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph wrote: "Despite the strong cast, this is the film equivalent of a corn-syrup-based fizzy drink being passed off as chic in taller, slimmer cans."

Frances McDormand

Three-time Best Actress winner Frances McDormand took home her first Oscar in 1997 for her instantly iconic performance as Minnesota police chief Marge Gunderson in the classic Coen Brothers dark comedy Fargo. Later that year, the acclaimed performer joined a heavyweight lineup of actresses — including Glenn Close, Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Ehle — in the World War II drama Paradise Road. However, despite that acting clout, the film received mixed reviews, with its approval rating at a lowly 43% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Brie Larson

Child actor turned Marvel superhero Brie Larson took her career to a whole new level with her performance as kidnapping victim Joy "Ma" Newsome in the 2015 survival drama Room, for which she swept the subsequent awards season and took home the Best Actress Oscar. In 2016, the Lessons in Chemistry lead starred in another survival drama, this time the Ben Wheatley-directed action-comedy Free Fire. CinemaBlend's own Gregory Wakeman wrote of the film: "Free Fire has enough gun blasts and violence to entertain, but ultimately lacks the requisite surprises or savvy to be anything more than a frivolous diversion."

Olivia Colman

Olivia Colman's Best Actress win for her portrayal of Queen Anne in the black-comedy period piece The Favourite was a deserved yet delightfully shocking moment at the 2019 Oscars. Her next role was equally strange, but less acclaimed: she appeared alongside Kaitlyn Dever, Jim Gaffigan and Walton Goggins as snake-handling fundamentalists in the horror mystery Them That Follow. Though it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, it earned mixed reviews from critics.

Cate Blanchett

One of the most versatile actors in the industry — she's played Queen Elizabeth I and Bob Dylan, for crying out loud! — eight-time Oscar nominee Cate Blanchett secured her first Best Actress win in 2014 playing a neurotic former socialite in the Woody Allen-directed dramedy Blue Jasmine. And speaking of versatility, the Aussie star followed that awards win with a voice role in the animated fantasy sequel How to Train Your Dragon 2, which got its own Oscar nod for Best Animated Feature.

Sandra Bullock

Rom-com queen Sandra Bullock received her first Best Actress nomination and win in 2010 for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in the biographical football drama The Blind Side. Her next film credit was the Stephen Daldry-directed 2011 drama Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, which did manage to score a Best Picture nod but not without controversy. Chris Krapek of The Huffington Post called the film "not only the worst reviewed Best Picture nominee of the last 10 years, [but] easily the worst film of 2011."

Katharine Hepburn

Hollywood icon Katherine Hepburn earned four Academy Awards for Best Actress out of 12 nominations across her illustrious film career—a record for any performer. The leading lady's first Oscar win was in 1934 for the Pre-Code drama Morning Glory (the rest would come later in the star's life), which she followed up with John Cromwell's Spitfire. Some viewers found Hepburn miscast as "hillbilly" faith healer Trigger Hicks — the film has a 35% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman didn't win the Best Actress Oscar for one of her most beloved performances, as cabaret star Satine in Moulin Rouge! but she instead secured the big win only a year later for playing English writer Virginia Woolf in The Hours. The Babygirl star's first post-award project was the 2003 avant-garde thriller Dogville, written and directed by Lars von Trier. Though the film prompted quite a polarizing response from critics at the time of release, it did end up on several best-of-the-decade roundups, including The Guardian and Paste.

Jennifer Lawrence

If they didn't already love her from her work in the David O. Russell dramedy Silver Linings Playbook, the world certainly fell for Jennifer Lawrence when she charmingly tripped up the stairs to accept her Best Actress statuette in 2013. That fall, she would reprise her role as Katniss Everdeen in the second Mockingjay movie, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is widely considered the best installment of The Hunger Games film series (it's got a solid 90% Rotten Tomatoes rating) and earned Lawrence a Critics' Choice nod.

Helen Mirren

Dame Helen Mirren is a regal onscreen presence no matter what the role, but her performance as Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 docudrama The Queen welcomed her among the Hollywood royalty known as Oscar winners. However, despite the film title, she didn't strike gold with her next project: the Nicolas Cage-led adventure flick National Treasure: Book of Secrets, alongside Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Ed Harris and Diane Kruger. Per Rotten Tomatoes, critic consensus said of the 35% "Rotten" movie: "A talented cast goes to waste in the improbable National Treasure: Book of Secrets."

Jodie Foster

One of Hollywood's most acclaimed child stars — she was only 12 years old when she starred opposite Robert De Niro in the Martin Scorsese masterpiece Taxi Driver, earning her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress — Jodie Foster successfully segued into more adult fare with the 1988 legal drama The Accused. As an assault survivor Sarah Tobias, Foster received a Best Actress win—it wouldn't be her last, with the star winning the same award for her next film release, one of the greatest horror movies of all time, The Silence of the Lambs.

Halle Berry

Halle Berry made Oscar history when she became the first African-American woman ever to win the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her performance as a struggling widow in 2001's Monster's Ball. After becoming an Oscar winner, Berry became a Bond Girl — bikini-sporting NSA agent Jinx, to be exact — in the 2002 spy flick Die Another Day, opposite Pierce Brosnan as 007. However, the latter is widely considered to be the worst entry in James Bond's canon.

Julie Andrews

A legendary performer across both screen and stage, Julie Andrews won her Best Actress Oscar in 1964 for a truly iconic role: as the titular nanny extraordinaire in Mary Poppins. And she didn't stop there — the very next year, she would get yet another Academy Award nomination for an equally beloved character, as The Sound of Music's Maria, the sweet, singing governess to the Von Trapp family. Talk about an epic filmography!

Kathy Bates

One of the best Kathy Bates performances, as obsessive superfan Annie Wilkes in the 1990 Stephen King thriller Misery, earned the talented actress her first Academy Award nomination and win. (She would have three more Oscar nods across her decades-spanning career.) Bates' next film role was in the South African drama The Road to Mecca, based on the Athol Fugard play of the same name — the performer was praised for both her acting and her accent work.

Hilary Swank

Before there were transgender characters like Emilia Pérez (Emilia Pérez), Sin-Dee Rella (Tangerine), or Raymond Rayon (Dallas Buyers Club), there was Brandon Teena, the real-life trans man at the center of the 1999 drama Boys Don't Cry. Hilary Swank's harrowing, career-making performance as Teena earned the star her first Best Actress award, with critics like Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman calling the actress a "revelation" in the film. Reactions to her next movie, the 2000 supernatural thriller The Gift, were far more mixed. A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote: "The picture is saved from mediocrity by [director Sam] Raimi's smooth competence, and by the unusually high quality of the acting."

Renée Zellweger

After prior Best Actress nominations for two of her best movies, Bridget Jones' Diary and Chicago — plus a Best Supporting Actress win for Cold Mountain — Renée Zellweger finally got her big Best Actress win for her portrayal of Judy Garland in Rupert Goold's Judy. After taking a multi-year break from acting, Zellweger's much-anticipated next film credit will be a return to a beloved role, in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman was so convincing as a troubled ballerina in the 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan that she thought the film was a docudrama while making it. So, it's no surprise, then, that her tour-de-force performance garnered the star an Academy Award for Best Actress. Ever one to keep you guessing genre-wise, Portman's next role was in the 2011 stoner fantasy-comedy Your Highness, which sadly was a box office bomb and received largely negative reviews from critics.

Cher

The "Goddess of Pop" Cher officially added the title of "Oscar winner" to her already legendary showbiz career with her 1988 Best Actress triumph for one of her best movies, the acclaimed rom-com Moonstruck. Her next movie role came two years later as Rachel Flax, the saucy single mom to young Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci in the 1990 dramedy Mermaids. The heartfelt title has been dubbed an "underappreciated 1990s coming-of-age gem" by The Guardian, which singled out Cher's performance as "nothing short of magical."

Kate Winslet

One of the greatest performers of her generation, it took Kate Winslet a whopping six Oscar nominations before she finally took home the Academy Award for Best Actress, for playing a former Nazi camp guard in 2008's The Reader. Her next onscreen role was in the 2011 black comedy Carnage, by disgraced director Roman Polanski. The film received positive reviews, with critics praising the performances of the cast, including Winslet's — she earned a Golden Globe nod for Best Actress in a Motional Picture Musical or Comedy.

Julia Roberts

After a decade that solidified her as rom-com royalty, Julia Roberts proved her dramatic bonafides by winning the Best Actress Oscar for playing the title role in the 2000 legal drama Erin Brockovich, one of her best movies. America's Sweetheart returned to her romantic comedy roots with her next film, fittingly entitled America's Sweethearts, though critics weren't too sweet on the movie. It only holds a 33% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes, with the site's consensus reading: "Despite its famous cast, the movie lacks sympathetic characters and is only funny in spurts."

Susan Sarandon

After Oscar nominations for Atlantic City, Thelma & Louise, Lorenzo's Oil and The Client, Susan Sarandon was finally named Best Actress by the Academy for playing Sister Helen Prejean in 1995's Dead Man Walking. Her next film was the decidedly lighter kids' flick James and the Giant Peach, in which Sarandon voiced the character of Miss Spider. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with Randy Newman's score earning an Oscar nod; however, the film was a box office failure, grossing $300,000 less than its budget.

Marion Cotillard

French movie star Marion Cotillard became the first actor to win an Academy Award for a French-language performance for her transformative turn as legendary singer Édith Piaf in the 2007 music biopic La Vie en Rose. Her next film credit was another biographical drama — this time, the Michael Mann-directed gangster film Public Enemies, alongside Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. Though many critics praised the leading performances, reviews were mixed, with the title holding a 68% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

Marlee Matlin

Marlee Matlin's acting debut in 1986's Children of a Lesser God saw the actress making Oscar history not once but twice: she became the first deaf performer to ever win an Academy Award, as well as the youngest winner in the Best Actress category. The CODA star followed up that momentous victory with the 1987 Western Walker, starring Ed Harris, Richard Masur and Peter Boyle. The historical drama was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 38th Berlin International Film Festival but received very polarized reviews and was a failure at the box office.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Fun fact: Gwyneth Paltrow wasn't initially supposed to star as Viola de Lesseps in the 1998 Bard-inspired romantic comedy Shakespeare in Love — Julia Roberts was. But Gwyn is no doubt grateful the latter ultimately left the production, as the role won her a Best Actress Oscar. Her next project was equally acclaimed: 1999's Anthony Minghella-helmed thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley scored five Academy Award nominations.

Audrey Hepburn

Screen legend Audrey Hepburn won her first Oscar in 1953 for her debut starring role, as Princess Ann in the classic black-and-white comedy Roman Holiday. The British beauty would later be nominated four more times for films like her first post-award project, the 1954 Billy Wilder-directed dramedy Sabrina, as well as The Nun's Story, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Wait Until Dark.

Sally Field

The Academy likes her, they really like her — yes, Sally Field has won not one but two Best Actress statuettes, the first being for her inspiring performance in 1979's Norma Rae and the second five years later for another one of her best films, Places in the Heart. Following her first win, Field reprised her role as Carrie, or "Frog," in 1980's Smoky and the Bandit II opposite her real-life love Burt Reynolds. Though the sequel was a box office success, prompting a third film, it received almost entirely negative reviews from critics.

Charlize Theron

One of the best Charlize Theron roles was also the star's most remarkably unrecognizable: the South African-born actress earned a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of real-life prostitute and serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the 2003 crime drama Monster. Her next big-screen performance was the 2004 war drama Head in the Clouds, which saw Theron acting opposite her then-romantic partner Stuart Townsend. The film was a critical and box office failure; in the San Francisco Chronicle, Walter Addiego wrote: "If not for the presence of Charlize Theron, it's hard to imagine this film would have attracted anywhere near the kind of attention it's gotten."

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon proved she was more than just a musical sidekick with her Oscar-winning performance as June Carter Cash in the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line. The Legally Blonde star was next seen in the harrowing 2007 political thriller Rendition opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, Meryl Streep and Peter Sarsgaard. However, "the impressive cast cannot rescue Rendition, which explores complex issues in woefully simplified terms," reads the critics' consensus on Rotten Tomatoes, with the film at a paltry 47% approval rating.

Elizabeth Taylor

Through much of the mid-20th century, celluloid icon Elizabeth Taylor was one of MGM's most bankable stars. In fact, her final film for the studio — 1960's Butterfield 8, playing glamorous call girl Gloria Wandrous — earned the movie star her first Academy Award for Best Actress. Her next performance was just as iconic: as the titular Egyptian queen in the 1963 historical epic Cleopatra, which received nine Oscar nominations and four wins, though, alas, none for Taylor specifically.

We all have strange gaps in our knowledge when it comes to the movies we’ve seen. I was shocked to learn that, until recently, my colleague Eric Eisenberg, who has watched well over 100 movies a year for the entire time I have known him, had never seen Gladiator. It’s surprising that a guy who loves movies had not seen a movie that was both a box office hit and a Best Picture winner. And so it’s weird that I, the guy who has written CinemaBlend’s best sci-fi movies list, had never seen Interstellar.

Until this week, that was the case. To be fair, in 10 years I thought I knew enough about it. I thought I knew the basic story (more on that shortly) and I knew the Interstellar ending was hotly discussed, even if I didn't know the details. What else did I need to know? Well, I took the opportunity to find out when I saw Interstellar was now available with my Netflix subscription, and gave it a watch. I’m so glad I waited 10 years to see it.

I Would Have Liked Interstellar In 2014, But For Very Different Reasons

I checked my personal way back machine to try and figure out just why I had never seen a sci-fi movie from Christopher Nolan, a description which should have gotten me into the theater instantly 10 years ago. As it happens, the movie originally came out just a week or two after I got laid off from a job in my previous career, so my focus at the time was probably not on whatever got released that weekend.

I’m sure I would have liked Interstellar if I had seen it when it was released in October 2014. I probably would have loved it. Science fiction that goes heavy on science, focuses on drama and questions things like the nature of time or reality is my jam. I ate it up then and I still do today.

But I wouldn’t have related to Interstellar the way I did when I saw it now. The emotional core of the movie is the relationship between a father and daughter, and as somebody who had no kids in 2014, but has two daughters today, I get it.

Interstellar View Of Time Is Something I've Come To Understand

It’s not that I don’t think I could relate to the characters of Interstellar without kids, and I’m not here to tell you that if you don’t have kids you can’t possibly appreciate the movie (I can’t stand people like that). However, I will say that I personally connected with the movie now in a way I know I would not have then.

Interstellar isn’t just about a relationship between a father and daughter who love each other. You don’t need to be a parent to get that, just have had one you cared about greatly. But the movie takes things a step further.

Like so many of Christopher Nolan’s movies, time plays a key role. But it’s not just about how time is running at different speeds on Earth or in space, it’s about how time runs on a longer scale for parents because existence doesn't end when we do. It continues with our children.

Interstellar is presented as two parallel stories, one following a father and another following his daughter. But really, it’s one story that begins with the parent and continues with the child after her father is gone.

It Turns Out I Had No Idea What Interstellar Was Actually About

If there’s a popular movie you’ve never seen, you can probably still give a basic description of what it’s about. Being part of pop culture often makes it so we pick up these things. There’s a decent chance you knew Rosebud was a sled before ever watching Citizen Kane. My kids have yet to watch a Star Wars movie, but they know Darth Vader’s relationship to Luke Skywalker.

In the same vein, I thought I knew what Interstellar was about. I knew Matthew McConaughey played an astronaut named Coop on an interstellar journey. I knew the concept of time dilation played a part, and that it would impact his character’s relationship with his family. I’d certainly seen the meme of McConaughey sobbing which is probably the film’s most enduring image.

While all that is part of Interstellar, it’s a pretty brief description of only half the movie. There’s a whole other part of the film that I honestly enjoyed more which is, I think, the better part of the film. It takes place back on Earth and follows what humanity is doing, and it's the heart of everything.

Jessica Chastain Plays The Character Interstellar Is Really All About

If I had ever learned that Jessica Chastain was even in Interstellar, it’s a fact I had long since forgotten. So I was shocked to see her as the adult version of Murph, the grown-up daughter of McConaughey character. I was even more surprised when she became a focal part of the story.

There was a point in Interstellar when I found myself nearly blubbering like Coop does watch the messages from home, (or like Timothee Chalmet did learning his Interstellar role had been cut down), but it wasn’t that moment. It came much later when Coop is trying to figure out how to pass messages through time to his daughter. The robot companion TARS wonders if sending the needed information to a child will be of any good. Cooper believes his daughter will understand. He never even hesitates.

I don’t exactly expect to be sending high-concept mathematical data across space and time to my kids, but at the end of the day, my goal as a father is to teach my kids enough that they can figure out the rest for themselves.

Coop lives my dream as a father at the end of Interstellar. He gets to see what his daughter has become and is relieved to discover she was happy. I don't need my kids to literally save the world, though the way things are going, they may need to. I just hope that they're happy, and I hope I live to see it.

Interstellar is a great movie, and I'm so glad I saw it. But even if I was rewatching it after 10 years, I don't think it would have had the same impact that it did watching it now for the first time. Some things are worth the wait.

Great actors don't need a lot of makeup or total body transformations to improve their performance, but when you get the combination of a great and those things, the effect can be amazing. Sometimes the effect is so good the actors become completely unrecognizable, like the examples in this list where actors like Jared Leto and Gary Oldman were completely transformed for roles.

Jared Leto - House Of Gucci

It's fair to say that House Of Gucci was, at best, an uneven movie. It was a daunting challenge for everyone involved and none more so than Jared Leto. Leto played the legendary Paolo Gucci, and while his accent was a little shaky, his look and his mannerisms were completely on point. It's one heck of a transformation.

Charlize Theron - Monster

There is no more intense transformation for a role than Charlize Theron's performance as real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster. Theron completely embodies the monster that Wuoronos was, while also subtly allowing the audience to understand how the killer became the way she was. Theron rightfully won an Academy Award for her portrayal of the brutal murderer.

Christian Bale - Vice

Christian Bale is one of the best actors of his generation and he's never been afraid to alter his look for a performance. The Machinist is one excellent example, but even that transformation pales in comparison to the way he completely became Dick Cheney in Vice. Not only does he look just like the former vice president, but he nails his speech pattern and mannerisms as well. It's remarkable.

Lily James - Pam & Tommy

When Lily James was cast as Pamela Anderson in Pam & Tommy it raised a few eyebrows. The actress seemed like a complete opposite in every way, especially her looks, as the blonde bombshell. Yet, when the movie came out, people were amazed at how well James pulled it off. No, it's not the best movie, but James was the spitting image of Anderson.

Gary Oldman - True Romance

One actor who is truly a master of disguise is Gary Oldman. He seemingly looks completely different in almost every role he plays. One of the most astounding transformations was early in his career when he played a pimp in True Romance. He literally looks and sounds nothing like himself in the film, to the point where if you didn't know it was him, you'd never guess.

Jessica Chastain - The Eyes of Tammy Faye

You know when a film wins the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Best Actress, the role is going to be special. Such is the case for Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Chastain is completely unrecognizable in the role of the wife of the infamous Jim Bakker and is simply incredible in the movie.

Margot Robbie - I, Tonya

Turning Margot Robbie into a street tough figure skater like Tonya Harding is no easy feet. Through a combination of incredible makeup work and even better acting, Robbie completely disappears into the notorious skater made famous for her part in attacking her rival Nancy Kerrigan before the 1994 Olympics.

Glenn Close - Hook

Steven Spielberg's 1991 Hook isn't generally remembered as the legendary director's best work, but it is chock full of fun cameos and one of the hardest to spot is Glenn Close. The actress plays one of the pirates on Captain Hook's ship and if you don't look closely, you'll never notice the multiple Oscar nominee under the beard and makeup turning her into a male pirate.

Tilda Swinton - Trainwreck

The most remarkable thing about Tilda Swinton's transformation in the rom-com Trainwreck is just how conventional she looks. Swinton has one of the most unique looks in Hollywood and most of the time that look is enhanced by the roles she plays, it's part of what makes her so great. Her "normal" look in Trainwreck is made remarkable by that,

Mike Myers - Bohemian Rhapsody

Mike Myers took a long hiatus from acting in the 2010s and when he returned in Bohemian Rhapsody, audiences had to do a triple-check to make sure it was him in the role of a record executive arguing with Queen about the song that the movie is named after. With sunglasses and a full blonde beard, Myers looked nothing like his normal sense and his performance was excellent.

Colin Farrell - The Batman/The Penguin

When the trailer first dropped for The Batman, people were astounded at how Colin Farrell looked as Penguin. When the movie came out and we all watched his performance, it was even more shocking (in a great way). When he took the role to HBO for the TV show named after the character, we were all completely lost in it, because he was just so great. Though he says the suit and makeup aren't worth it, we have a feeling he'll be back as the Gotham-based villain.

50 Cent - All Things Fall Apart

50 Cent has proven to be quite the actor. The rapper has branched out into producing, even. Perhaps his best performance was as the fallen football star in All Things Fall Apart. His body transformation to play a pro athlete in peak physical condition who falls victim to cancer is incredible

Sarah Paulson - Impeachment: American Crime Story

Sarah Paulson knows how to completely disappear into a role. She was as incredible as Marsha Clark in The People Vs. OJ Simpson and she was even more remarkable as Linda Tripp in Impeachment: American Crime Story. Seriously, if you didn't know it was her, you'd never guess. She looks more like Tripp than Paulson in every way.

Billy Bob Thornton In U-Turn

Billy Bob Thorton is one of the most fun actors to watch in everything he is in. Take, for example, his role in Sling Blade, in which he looks completely different from himself. Another fine example is as the mechanic in U-Turn with Sean Penn. If it wasn't for his distinctive voice, you'd never know it was him.

Eddie Murphy - Coming To America

For a while there, Eddie Murphy made it his job to look completely different in his movies like The Nutty Professor, but at no point in any of those movies did he transform quite like he did to play the Jewish guy who hung out in the barbershop in Coming To America. Even his role as the barber in the movie was more recognizable. We also have to give props to Arsenio Hall for his various roles in the movie as well.

Mia Goth - X

Mia Goth playing the elderly Pearl in X is fantastic. Though you can tell it's her as Maxine, if you just walked in on the movie as those scenes of her as the older Pearl was playing, you'd never know who it is.

Tom Hardy - Bronson

Tom Hardy has never been shy about taking on challenging roles that require him to transform completely. He changes so much, that you almost feel like you don't know what he actually looks like in real life. Bronson is one of his finest transformations as he looks way more like the notorious British prisoner than like himself in the movie. It's so much more than just a mustache, that's for sure.

Donnie Wahlberg - The Sixth Sense

Mark Wahlberg may be the more famous brother, but Donnie Wahlberg also has some incredible acting chops and his performance comes in his minor-ish role in The Sixth Sense. It's clear that the former (and current) New Kid On The Block lost a ton of weight for his haunting performance in the movie.

Steve Carell - Foxcatcher

Murderer John du Pont of the famous du Pont family was a unique-looking guy. In Foxcatcher, Steve Carell completely embodies that uniqueness, It's almost unsettling how much Carell looks like du Pont and not like himself in the disturbing movie about the murder the scion of the wealthy family committed in 1997.

Cate Blanchett — I’m Not There

The legendary Bob Dylan has been played on screen a few times and remarkably the actor that pulled off his look and mannerism best is the amazing Cate Blanchett in I’m Not There. Of all the actors who play a version of the folk singer, Blancett is the most convincing and she looks nothing like herself in the movie.

Zac Efron - The Iron Claw

Early in his career Zac Efron was kind of typecast as the goofy good-looking guy. In 2023's The Iron Claw he completely upends that as he embodied the late Kerry Von Erich in the fantastic biopic about wrestling's first family, the Von Erichs

Renée Zellweger - The Thing About Pam

After a little bit of a career lull that included a four-year break from acting, Renée Zellweger returned in a big way in the late 2010s, culminating in an Oscar-winning performance as Judy Garland in 2019's Judy, which completely revived her career. Her best was yet to come because despite not getting the same accolades in the press, her performance as murderer Pam Hupp in The Thing About Pam was a complete transformation

Jared Leto - Chapter 27

Turning someone as good-looking as Jared Leto into someone as despised as the man who killed John Lennon is no easy feat. Leto's performance as Mark David Chapman is incredible and even though the movie has flown under the radar for years, it's worth seeking out just to see how different Leto can look from himself.

Missi Pyle - Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

How do you take a beautiful woman like Missi Pyle and make her look like a deranged Eastern European dodgeball player? Ask the makeup department for Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. The work they did, along with Pyle's acting, was amazing. There's no way to know it was her in any way unless you double-check the credits.

Sebastian Stan - A Different Man

A Different Man tells the hilarious and heartwarming tale of a struggling actor with a condition known as neurofibromatosis. Sebastian Stan plays the actor under a whole ton of wonderful makeup and despite the obvious limitation that makeup puts on the actor, Stan puts in a career-defining performance.

Chris Hemsworth - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

While it isn't the most extreme example on this list, Chris Hemsworth's look in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is amazing. The only reason you really know it's him is that he uses his natural Aussie accent in the movie, which he doesn't do all that much these days. He's even won awards for the performance!

Ryan Reynolds - Blade: Trinity

Okay, we'll admit this isn't the biggest transformation on this list, but you can't deny that Ryan Reynolds has a completely different, more sinister look in Blade: Trinity. It's way different from what you expect from a standard Reynolds performance.

Nicole Kidman - Birth

Nicole Kidman is an amazing actress, but she's not one of those actors you expect to completely change her look for a role. Her part in Birth shows that she certainly can do that, and do it in spectacular ways.

Robert De Niro - Raging Bull

Robert De Niro famously put on a ton of weight for his role as Al Capone in The Untouchables. He also got completely jacked for Cape Fear. He did both for his incredible performance in Raging Bull. As a young Jake LaMotta he was cut and fit and as an older version of the boxer, he was flabby and overweight. Either way, De Niro looks less like himself and more like the real-life boxer. He certainly deserved the Oscar he won for the role.

Margot Robbie - Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary, Queen of Scots had a unique look that was only enhanced by the odd style of 16th Century Scotland. Still, Margot Robbie nails the look of the queen in a way that leaves the audience squinted to see if it's really the Australian actress.

Gary Oldman - The Darkest Hour

No one transforms quite like Gary Oldman. He's completely different in every role he plays and in The Darkest Hour, he completely embodies his role as Winston Churchill. It's not just the makeup, though that is perfect, it's also the voice and mannerisms he brings to the role that makes you believe you're actually watching the legendary prime minister.

Charlize Theron - Bombshell

Bombshell is one of those movies where you might think you're watching the real-life characters that the cast of Bombshell are playing. Charlize Theron's portrayal of former Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly tops the performances. It's pitch-perfect in every way.

Andrew Garfield has been having vulnerable conversations as of late. While promoting his 2024 movie release, romantic dramedy We Live in Time, the fan-favorite star has been open about dealing with grief, specifically how he handled it amid his mother’s death a few years ago. Garfield recently went viral for appearing in a video alongside Sesame Street’s Elmo, during which they discussed grief. As that continues to gain traction, Garfield is recalling how co-star Jessica Chastain helped him see his mother during her final days.

What Happens In The Video Featuring Andrew Garfield And Elmo?

Sesame Workshop released a clip this past week to social media, which features Andrew Garfield on Sesame Street, where he encounters the furry and delightful Elmo. It’s during their meetup that the two exchange pleasantries, before Elmo asks how Garfield is doing. The viral Social Network star ultimately admits that he’s missing his mother, to which the red muppet kindly offers his sympathies. While Garfield appreciates the sentiment, he proceeds to explain to his furry, little friend the beauty that can be found in missing someone:

Throughout the course of its lengthy history, Sesame Street has recruited various A-listers to help share vital life lessons with kids. However, to me, this may be one of the most affecting clips the franchise has ever produced. It’s certainly not easy to speak about grief around adults let alone discuss it with children. But the Spider-Man star certainly articulated his thoughts in a way that people of varying ages could understand. Also, shout out to Elmo for always checking up on people.

Andrew Garfield Received Some Help While Trying To His Mother During Her Final Days

Andrew Garfield’s mother, Lynn, passed away at the age of 69 in 2019 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. During that time, Garfield was busy filming The Eyes of Tammy Faye alongside the likes of Jessica Chastain and Vincent D’Onofrio. The Silence star’s colleagues eventually became aware of his familial situation. With that, Chastain – who was unrecognizable in the role of the film’s eponymous character – worked in tandem with the powers that be so that Garfield could spend time with his mom:

That was certainly considerate of the Zero Dark Thirty star and co. to do that for their collaborator. Based on the comments he shared with People, it sounds like the Hacksaw Ridge star really appreciated it. While it may be sad to some that his mother is no longer here, it’s incredibly comforting to hear that he was able to spend time with her before the end.

While promoting We Live in Time, Andrew Garfield has been candid about how his grief connected to his work in the film, which deals with heavy subject matter. It sees Garfield and Florence Pugh play a couple who deal with ups and downs, including a tragic cancer diagnosis, over the course of several years. The somewhat somber subject matter is why Pugh says the film may be “scary” to some people. However, she encourages them to see it anyway. Here’s hoping that the film as well as Garfield’s openness with Elmo and the public at large serve as a hint of encouragement for those who are still trying to process their own grief.

We Live in Time is playing in theaters now. The young – and the young at heart – can also stream episodes of Sesame Street using a Max subscription.

Whether it's in biopics or in other historical movies, playing an important person often leads to some of the most amazing performances put on film. There are far too many to count, much less list here, but we do think you'll agree that this list of 32 actors playing famous people rank among the best. 

Ben Kingsley - Gandhi

The 1982 epic Gandhi starring Ben Kingsley as the revered leader of India and icon to peaceful protestors all over the world is an amazing movie. At the heart is Kingsley's amazing, transformative performance. He looks and sounds just like Gandhi, it's almost uncanny. 

Margot Robbie - Tonya Harding

When the news first broke that Australian Margot Robbie was cast to play controversial US Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya, it's safe to say that many were skeptical. It took the actor all of about 30 seconds of screen time in the movie to prove those skeptics very wrong. Robbie is fantastic as the troubled skater with a family life that you wouldn't wish on anyone. 

Paul Dano - Brian Wilson

The Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy seems to have been overlooked by many, but if you're a fan of The Beach Boys, you need to see it. John Cusack plays the older Wilson in the 1980s and it is fantastic. Paul Dano, who plays the Pet Sounds-era Wilson, is simply amazing. He completely disappears into the role. 

Reese Witherspoon - June Carter Cash

Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix are both amazing in Walk the Line as June and Johnny Cash. Really both deserve to be on this list, but we've the honor to Witherspoon if only because she won Best Actress at the Oscars in 2006. 

Robert Downey, Jr - Charlie Chaplin

It took a long time for Robert Downey to win an Oscar, which he finally did for Oppenheimer. More than 30 years before that win, he earned his first nomination for 1992's Chaplin for playing the legendary actor and Hollywood trailblazer. It's a movie that doesn't get talked about much these days, but it's still great. Especially Downey's performance. 

Natalie Portman - Jackie Kennedy

Jackie Kennedy has to be a tricky person to play. She is so iconic and so well known to so many people that the scrutiny would be stressful. Luckily for all of us, Natalie Portman hit it out of the park when she played the former First Lady in Jackie. 

Meryl Streep - Margaret Thatcher

It's hardly surprising to see Meryl Streep's name on any list of great performances. She has been arguably the best actor in Hollywood for 50 years. One of her finest performances came in 2011's The Iron Lady where she played the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher. 

Rami Malek - Freddy Mercury

You knew we couldn't have this list without including Rami Malek's incredible performance as Freddie Mercury in the biopic about the late Queen singer, Bohemian Rhapsody. It's not all about the prosthetic teeth, as Malek nailed so many nuances and mannerisms of the icon rock star. Just as in real life, the performance at Live Aid at the end of the movie brings down the house. 

Val Kilmer - Jim Morrison

If you grew up in the '90s, The Doors was probably a seminal film for you. Val Kilmer blew audiences away as the late Jim Morrison. It was so good you'd swear you were watching the real Morrison as he rose to fame and then burned out quickly before tragically becoming a member of the "27 Club" in 1971.

Denzel Washington - Malcolm X

A powerful personality takes an actor with equal strength to pull off and in Malcolm X, Denzel Washington is more than up for the task. Playing the combative, controversial civil rights leader could not have been easy, yet Washington brings him back to life in every way. It's the reason everyone should see this biopic. 

Faye Dunaway - Joan Crawford

Faye Dunaway gives the performance of a lifetime in Mommie Dearest. It's scary and mesmerizing. Joan Crawford was one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood in the Golden Age in Hollywood, but this movie changed the public's opinion of her forever - and not for the better. 

Jennifer Lopez - Selena

Before played the murdered superstar Selena in the movie of the same name, Jennifer Lopez had had a few roles in movies, but after Selena, she was the legend we all know today. It's a groundbreaking performance. 

David Oyelowo - Dr, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Everyone in America has heard the powerful voice of Martin Luther King, Jr. hundreds of times. His speeches are part of everyone's education. That makes David Oyelowo's turn as the civil rights leader that much harder - and that much more impressive. It's just fantastic. 

Cate Blanchett - Bob Dylan

Okay, we admit, technically Cate Blanchett is playing a character named "Jude Quinn" in I'm Not There, but c'mon, let's be real, she's playing Bob Dylan. It's an uncanny performance as well. There is actual footage of Dylan from that time in his career in the excellent D.A. Pennebaker-directed Dont Look Back. Compare that to Blanchett and you'll realize just how great she was. 

Daniel Day-Lewis - Abraham Lincoln

Of all the amazing performances on this list, Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln just may be the best. It frankly could be the greatest acting performance of all time. There's an argument for it, at least. He's simply incredible and brings the tragic president to life like no one else has before or since, and likely never will. 

Cillian Murphy - J. Robert Oppenheimer

Cillian Murphy won a well-deserved Best Actor Award for playing J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer. It's a subtle, smoldering performance, just like the personality of the real Oppenheimer. Playing the scientist in his greatest moments in life and his lowest, it's a fantastic showing by the Irish actor. 

Cynthia Erivo - Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman is one of the most important people in US history, but one that hasn't been explored on film nearly as much as you might expect. Luckily, when someone did decide to finally tell her full story on the big screen in 2019's Harriet, they had the good sense to cast Cynthia Erivo as the former slave-turned-freedom fighter. She's amazing. 

Forest Whitaker - Idi Amin

Forest Whitaker is pretty great in everything he's in. He cranks his talent up to another level in The Last King Of Scotland as the brutal dictator of Uganda, Idi Amin. He's so good there are even moments where viewers might feel compassion for the man, despite his worst tendencies as the leader of the country. 

Jessica Chastain - Tammy Faye Bakker

If you were around in the 1980s, you remember all the insanity around Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Jim Bakker crying on TV with Tammy Faye right next to him is something no one will forget. Jessica Chastain's turn as the evangelical preacher's wife is just as memorable. 

Philip Seymour Hoffman - Truman Capote

it's hard to imagine anyone will ever play Truman Capote as well as the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote. The role completely takes control of the actor in the best way. It might as well been the writer himself. You completely forget there is even an actor behind the role. 

Daniel Kaluuya - Fred Hampton

Fred Hampton was a controversial and complicated leader in the Black Panther Party in the 1960s. Casting a Brit like Daniel Kaluuya in the role was a daring choice by the filmmakers of Judas and the Black Messiah, but it paid off brilliantly as Kaluuya nails the role. 

Gary Oldman - Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill has been played on the big and small screen by plenty of great actors. John Lithgow (The Crown), Brendan Gleeson (Into the Storm), and Albert Finney (The Gathering Storm) have all garnered praise for playing the legendary prime minister. Gary Oldman, who won an Oscar for playing Churchill in 2017's The Darkest Hour may just be the best. His reading of those famous speeches is just mesmerizing. 

Angela Bassett - Tina Tuner

Tina Turner was a fierce woman, who deserved a fierce performance and she got one with Angela Bassett in What's Love Got To Do With It. Bassett's performance is transcendent and certainly deserved the Oscar nomination she received. She should've won it! 

Austin Butler - Elvis Presley

Austin Butler got so caught up in his performance as Elvis Presley in Elvis that critics of the actor complained that even months later he was still talking like the King of Rock and Roll. he wasn't, but that does say something about how good he was in the Baz Luhrmann-directed bio flick. 

Jesse Eisenberg - Mark Zuckerberg

When The Social Network was first announced, many were confused as to how someone could make an interesting movie about the founding of Facebook. It turns out, that if you get a great writer like Aaron Sorkin, a great director like David Fincher, and someone like Jesse Eisenberg to play the Mark Zuckerberg, you can make it look easy. The movie is great, and Eisenberg's performance is pitch-perfect. 

Leonardo DiCaprio - Howard Hughes

Howard Hughes is one of the most mercurial and odd celebrities in US history. In The Aviator, Leonardo DiCaprio fully embodies everything about the director and businessman. He takes on his greatest triumphs and sinks to the depths of Hughes' despair in the lowest points of his mental illness with the same gusto. 

Charlize Theron - Aileen Wuornos

Serial killer Aileen Wuornos was a terrifying person. A true monster, as the name of the movie about her is called. That's not to say a viewer can't have some sympathy for the circumstances that brought her to the point of murder, but you can't excuse her. Charlize Theron does an incredible job bringing all of that to the role in Monster. 

Sean Penn - Harvey Milk

Milk is one of the great political movies of the last few decades and the biggest reason why, besides the inspiring story, is Sean Penn's performance as Harvey Milk. Like Penn has done so often in his career, he completely disappears into the character. It is Harvey Milk.  

George C. Scott - George Patton

George S. Patton was a great, and complicated leader in World War II. He was responsible for some of the greatest military gains in the war, and he couldn't keep himself out of trouble with his controversy. George C. Scott's portrayal of the general in Patton is amazing. Even though the opening scene of him making a speech in front of the flag is fictional, it sets the tone perfectly and the movie never lets up. 

Cate Blanchett - Katharine Hepburn

Leonardo DiCaprio is fantastic in The Aviator as Howard Hughes, but he's not the only great performance in the movie. Cate Blanchett as the iconic Katharine Hepburn is, well, iconic. There's just no better word for either. It's not only a spot-on impression, the portrayal nails everything that was great about Hepburn. 

Robert De Niro - Jake LaMotta

Jake LaMotta was one of the toughest prizefighters of all time. His incredible story and Robert De Niro's performance are the two things that make Raging Bull legendary. Scorsese's direction is pretty great too. 

Helen Mirren - Queen Elizabeth II

it's really hard to play a person who has been on television screens all over the world for decades. Helen Mirren takes on that difficult task in Queen Elizabeth II. The late Queen was an icon in every sense of the word and playing her could not have been easy, yet, when you have the talent of Helen Mirren, it looks easy. It surely wasn't. 

There has been a lot of talk about "nepo babies" over the last few years, and while it may seem like every actor has famous parents. That is hardly the case though, of course. Many of our favorite actors come from much more humble roots. So let's celebrate those stars with this list of actors who came from blue-collar backgrounds. 

Sarah Jessica Parker

Growing up in Ohio Sarah Jessica Parker had a huge family, with seven siblings and step-siblings. She's talked about how there were times her parents struggled to pay the bills and were even on welfare for a time. Though her mom ran a nursery and her stepdad was a truck driver, they still found a way to support Parker's show business dreams and eventually moved to New York so she could star on Broadway. 

James Dean

James Dean is one of the most tragic stories in Hollywood history, and his upbringing was pretty rough too. His father left when he was a toddler and his mother supported the two of them as a single mother during The Depression. That is until she passed away when Dean was only nine. He moved to Ohio and lived with his aunt and uncle where things stabilized for him. After graduating high school, he moved to LA and embarked on his all-too-brief career. 

Maisie Williams

Though she found fame at early age with Game of Thrones Maisie Williams' family struggled when she was younger. She was raised in a council house (public housing in the UK) until she was cast in the hit HBO show at age 12. 

Jeremy Strong

Jeremy Strong may play a scion to one of the wealthiest families on TV in Succession, but in real life, he had a much more humble upbringing. Strong grew up in the blue-collar area of Jamaica Plain in Boston and his father was a guard in juvenile jails in town. Eventually the family moved to the more upscale town of Sudbury, where he went to high school and discovered acting. 

Samuel L. Jackson

For most of his career, Samuel L. Jackson was a blue-collar actor working as much as he could. That makes with his upbringing as the son of a single mother who worked in a factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Shania Twain

Shaina Twain is best known as a country singer, of course, but she's done a little acting over her impressive career as well. It's a career that has taken far away from her humble roots outside Toronto, Ontario, where the family struggled. Those struggles led to her finding gigs as a singer at a young age and the rest is history.

Samantha Morton

Samantha Morton had a rough upbringing in the UK. Nine of her formative years were spent in foster care when her parents, who were addicts, weren't able to care for her. She had a couple of scraps with the law herself but started getting acting work in her teens and it all came together. 

Dolly Parton

There is no more revered person in Hollywood (or Nashville) than the great Dolly Parton. She's often talked about her humble beginnings in rural Tennessee as one of 12 children. She has always praised how her mother kept the family together through hard times and when Parton was 18 she moved to Nashville and hit the big time pretty quickly as a songwriter and a singer. 

Adam Driver

Megalopolis star Adam Driver moved around a lot as a kid, living all over from San Diego to Indiana. His stepfather was a Baptist preacher, but he was mostly raised by his mother in Indiana. After the September 11th attacks, he joined the Marines and served, like many other actors have over the years, for a few years before being discharged for a medical reason and starting his acting career. 

Al Pacino

Al Pacino grew up mostly in the South Bronx, and anyone from New York can tell you that the South Bronx in the '40s and '50s was a tough place to live. By his own admission he got in trouble a lot, as often happens with kids with hard working parents. Even as a actor early in his career he couch-surfed with friends until he started landing gigs regularly. 

Dax Shepard

Dax Shepard's family experienced the American Dream, according to the actor and podcast host. His mom worked at GM while he was growing up near Detroit and the family struggled, but as he got older, his mom's career grew and she moved up the ranks from janitor to executive, so by the time Shepard was in high school, she was quite successful. 

Ice Cube

Any fan of N.W.A. knows about Ice Cube's roots in South Central LA as the son of a janitor and a groundskeeper. As a result of desegregation, Ice Cube had the opportunity to get bussed out of Compton and out to the suburbs, where he thrived in English class, something he would make good use of later in life as the principal lyricist for one of the most successful rap acts of all time. 

Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson, who has won the famed EGOT, was raised with her two siblings by a single mother on the South Side of Chicago. She started working in local theater at a young age and famously worked on the Disney Cruise line before auditioning for American Idol in the show's third season, which was, of course, her big break. 

Mel Brooks

The legendary Mel Brooks, like so many of his generation, was the child of immigrants. He was raised very poor in Brooklyn surrounded by people who worked in the garment industry. Instead of following in their footsteps, he went into show business and the world is luckier for it. 

Joan Crawford

Screen legend Joan Crawford would die a very rich woman, but she started life as the daughter of a construction worker in Texas. After her parents split up and her mother remarried, her stepfather got in trouble in Texas and the family moved to Kansas City where Crawford attended Catholic school as a work student. 

Jim Carrey

At one point Jim Carrey was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood, which is far cry from his humble beginnings in and around Toronto. For a time, Carrey has admitted, they were even homeless. Eventually his father found more stable employment and after dropping out of high school Carrey worked on his stand up routine and took shifts at a nearby factory. 

Misha Collins

Supernatural star Misha Collins grew up working class in Boston and he has said in the past that his family spent some time unhoused. He was lucky enough to gain admission to a prep school, which led him to the University of Chicago and eventually an internship at The White House during the Clinton administration before he concentrated on his acting career. 

Rosario Dawson

Rosario Dawson has been a part of two of the biggest franchises in Hollywood, Star Wars and the MCU. It wasn't always the big time for her though. Her mother was a teenager when she was born and never married Dawson's father, but did marry another man, from whom Dawson takes her last name. He was a construction worker first in New York and later in Texas. 

Jessica Chastain

Though she doesn't talk much about her upbringing, we do know that Jessica Chastain's stepfather was a firefighter and that her family life was a struggle growing up. She grew up in Sacramento with four siblings, though she lost one to suicide when she was in her early 20s. Chastain started acting as a kid and her career would eventually take off and she would become one of the most beloved and acclaimed actors of her generation. 

Daniel Kaluuya

Born of Uganda immigrants in London, Daniel Kaluuya was raised on a council estate in one of the city's most famous blue-collar areas, Camden. He didn't know his father growing up, but he excelled in school and started acting in plays while there. he started landing paying gigs in his teens and the rest is history.

Hilary Swank

Though she has humble roots as the daughter of an army soldier, Hilary Swank grew up in a stable household and even after her parents split up when she was 15, her mother moved with Swank to the LA area so she could try her hand at Hollywood. That bet paid off as Swank has been one of the best actresses around for decades. 

Charlie Chaplin

It could be argued that Charlie Chaplin was the first bonafide superstar of the silver screen. While he would eventually become Hollywood's biggest star and one of the most financially successful moviemakers of his era, his childhood was a hardscrabble upbringing in central London. His parents had no capacity to raise children and he bounced around reform schools and other group homes as a kid before finding his way, first in the theater then later in silent films. 

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez famously grew up "on the 6," meaning the 6-Train through the Bronx in New York City. Her father had a job as a computer technician and Lopez had a solid, yet definitely blue-collar upbringing. 

Woody Harrelson

Woody Harrelson has starred in some of the best roles in Hollywood over the last four decades, and one of them, Woody Boyd on Cheers, reflected his actual blue-collar roots in Indiana. The story of Woody Boyd and Woody Harrelson are pretty similar, as both were raised in rural Indiana. Harrelson was famously locked up in prison for most of his upbringing, and he eventually died in prison after Harrelson's career had taken off. 

Viola Davis

Viola Davis was actually born on plantation in South Carolina, if you can believe it. She was raised mostly in Rhode Island, however, but it was a hard upbringing which has described of being very financially unstable. 

Daniel Craig

Daniel Craig may be famous for playing suave, debonair, and sophisticated characters, but that's nothing like his upbringing. His father was a construction worker and bar manager, though Craig does have aristocratic ancestors. 

Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix (and his late brother River) had a wild upbringing. His parent were part of a cult called the Children of God and Phoenix spent much of his early life living in South America as his parents traveled as missionaries for the religious group. Eventually, the family left the cult, adopting the name "Phoenix" as a sign of their rebirth as a family in a new life.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is famously one of the richest people in Hollywood, but that's not how she started out. Her mother was a teenager in Milwaukee, but before long Winfrey found herself in Nashville living with the man she considers her father. While still a teen in Nashville, she started working in radio, which would eventually lead to her media empire. 

Bella Thorne

The whole reason Bella Thorne became a professional actor was to help support her family growing up. After her father was killed in a car wreck when she was ten, Thorne's mother was left to raise four children on her own. It was a tough upbringing, but the acting gigs started coming more and more often and got her big break on the Disney Channel's Shake It Up in 2010. 

James Caan

James Caan was in some of the best movies in Hollywood history. The list of Caan's best movies is incredible. His father was a deli meat salesman and he grew up in the blue-collar neighborhood of Sunnyside, Queens, in New York City. He found acting while he briefly attended Hofstra, where he would also meet Francis Ford Coppola, who would give the role of Sonny in The Godfather years later. 

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez was raised by a single mother who had Gomez when she was just 16. Gomez has never been resentful, it seems, and credits her with raising her under such trying conditions. Gomez caught the acting bug at a pretty young age and ws soon landing shows on kids shows, leading to the insanely successful career we all know and love. 

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington had the definition of a blue-collar upbringing as the son of a beautician and an employee of the water company in his hometown of New York City. His parent worked hard to make sure he got a good education and after graduating from Fordham, he embarked on one of the most successful Hollywood careers of all time. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been around for more than a decade-and-a-half, and after 30-plus movies, TV shows, and specials, we’ve seen a ton of great actors play fan-favorite comic book heroes and villains. There are even actors who have played more than one character in the expansive franchise. But at the same time, there’s an even larger group of talented big-screen stars who haven’t donned a cape, mask, or spandex in the best Marvel movies. Here are 32 actors we still want to see in the MCU…

Ryan Gosling

For one reason or another, Ryan Gosling has yet to play a character in the MCU. One of the most talented and beloved actors of his time, the Barbie star would be perfect to play several characters ranging from Nova to Mr. Fantastic to even Earth-616’s Norman Osbourne if they wanted to have a younger actor take on the role of the famous Spider-Man villain. 

John David Washington

John David Washington has previously said he’d be open for an MCU role, and it’s probably going to happen sooner or later, considering the son of Oscar winner Denzel Washington is an incredibly talented and versatile actor. The Tenet and The Creator star has the range to handle just about everything thrown his way, be it as a villain or the next great Marvel hero.

Margot Robbie

It wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Margot Robbie join the list of actors to appear in the MCU at some point down the line, it’s just a matter of finding the right character for the beloved actress to play. There have been rumors about a Sue Storm role over the years, but Robbie would also be great playing villains like Lady Deathstrike.

Dev Patel

Dev Patel has established himself as one of the most interesting actors in Hollywood thanks to outstanding performances in movies like The Green Knight, Slumdog Millionaire, and his 2023 work with Wes Anderson. Watching the Lion star take on someone like Reed Richards or even Doctor Doom would be awesome, and he could honestly handle both.

Keanu Reeves

Throughout his career, Keanu Reeves has played iconic action characters like Johnny Utah, Neo, and John Wick. How cool would it be to see the eternally young actor join the MCU as someone like Dracula, Ghost Rider, or even Silver Surfer? We would even settle for a small voice role as a random one-off character.

Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy showing up in the MCU would be a massive get for the cinematic universe as it works towards the two upcoming Avengers projects, especially if he were to play Doctor Doom. While other actors would probably be better suited for the physicality of the iconic Marvel villain, Murphy would be perfect for the psychological aspects of the character. Add in his experience from playing Scarecrow in the Dark Knight trilogy and you have a perfect fit.

Vanessa Kirby

Vanessa Kirby has said in the past that it would be an honor to play Sue Storm, but the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning actress could also handle a more sinister role if given the chance. Just imagine Kirby playing someone like Lady Death or even Black Cat if we get another Spider-Man movie.

Cynthia Erivo

How Cynthia Erivo hasn’t landed a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is somewhere between a travesty and a mystery, because the multi-talented actor has everything you want in an actress to play your next comic book star. Just imagine the Harriet and Bad Times at the El Royale actress showing up as Storm whenever the X-Men are eventually introduced to the franchise. That would be electric to say the very least.

Antonio Banderas

Though Ant-tonio Banderas, Scott Lang’s ant in Ant-Man and the Wasp is already a thing in the MCU, the actor on which the flying arthropods was based has not had a chance to appear just yet. This needs to change and we need to see Antonio Banderas show up at some point down the road. He’s got the skills and intangibles to pull off someone as big as Galactus, a character comic book fans have been dying to see for years now.

LaKeith Stanfield

LaKeith Stanfield has been one of the more interesting actors of the past decade thanks to unforgettable roles in movies like Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah, and The Book of Clarence, and the MCU would be better off if he joined the fray. There was talk in early 2024 of Stanfield replacing Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, which could work, but he could also bring to life X-Men staples like Cyclopes or even Gambit.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise flirted with the idea of playing Tony Stark way before Robert Downey Jr. rejuvenated his career in the MCU-launching Iron Man, but we never got to see the Top Gun: Maverick star play the iconic billionaire playboy philanthropist. Though it never came to fruition, we’d still love to see the Hollywood legend show up in the MCU, even if he only briefly played an alternate version of Iron Man.

Christoph Waltz

Christoph Waltz has played great villains in everything from the James Bond movies to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, but he’s never played a big bad in the MCU. That should change, sooner rather than later, and he could be a great fit for someone like Norman Osborn or Doc Ock if we get more Spidey movies. He has the charisma, skill, and look for either of those roles.

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain showed up in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, but since that’s outside of the MCU (for now, anyway), she’s fair game. There’s been the Sue Storm talk over the years, but the Interstellar star could also take on someone like Jean Grey and try her luck with the Dark Phoenix character.

Alan Ritchson

Okay, imagine Alan Ritchson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom. In addition to having a ridiculous physique, the Jack Reacher star can also be cerebral and mysterious, kind of like his character from Fast X. He would be a formidable foe, that’s for sure. And if not, we’d love to see Ritchson take on someone like Rhino or Juggernaut and breathe new life into those characters.

Pedro Pascal

There’s been a lot of talk about Pedro Pascal being the frontrunner for Reed Richards in the Fantastic Four’s eventual MCU debut, and that would be awesome. The star of The Mandalorian and The Last of Us has shown over the years that he has what it takes to lead a successful franchise, and he has enough talent and charisma to pay one of Marvel’s most iconic heroes.

Amber Midthunder

Amber Midthunder became a star-in-the-making after the 2022 release of Prey, and the star of the Predator spinoff prequel could very well make an impact in the MCU if given the opportunity. Lady Hellbender, Lyja, and Silver Fox are just three of the Marvel characters she would be well-suited to play.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington has long stayed out of the superhero realm, though he has made a career out of playing characters who are pretty much comic book characters. That being said, we’d love to see the two-time Oscar winner take on a role like Magento or Bahsenga, the warrior shaman who was the first to adopt the Black Panther mantel.

Emily Blunt

Her husband, John Krasinksi, has already appeared in the MCU, albeit briefly, as Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so it wouldn’t be crazy to see Emily Blunt show up at some point, either for a similar-sized role or in a larger capacity. According to Deadline, the Oppenheimer star turned down a chance to play Black Widow in Iron Man 2 and was reportedly approached to play other famous characters in the years following. 

Gary Oldman

We’ve seen Gary Oldman play Jim Gordon masterfully in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, but the Academy Award-winning actor has yet to show up in the MCU. It would be so cool to see the legendary actor enter the fold as Dr. Xavier in the eventual X-Men movie, and it would be just as awesome to see him play a more villainous role like Mephisto or even Dracula, with the latter being a throwback to his turn in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Jesse Plemons

Jesse Plemons has been everywhere for the past few years. Well, everywhere besides the MCU. The Breaking Bad and Killers of the Flower Moon star has shared the screen with Marvel actors like Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Christian Bale over the years, and it’s only a matter of time before he follows suit and shows up as a comic book character. This guy has Sabretooth written all over him…

Paul Giamatti

Paul Giamatti has already been in Sony’s Marvel movies thanks to his portrayal of Rhino in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but we’d love to see more of the beloved actor. It doesn’t have to be anything over-the-top like a mech suit, but instead something like a government official who tries to get in the Avengers’ way or is tempted by a big bad.

Glen Powell

Glen Powell has "superhero" written all over him. The Physique, the charm, the million-dollar smile, he has it all. It’s only a matter of time before someone swoops him up and makes him the next great comic book hero, and that someone could be Marvel. Nova, Cyclops, or even a young Magneto would be great fits for the Anyone But You star.

Tati Gabrielle

Since making her acting debut a decade ago, Tati Gabrielle has given commanding performances on shows like You, Kaleidoscope, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, to name a few. The actress, who also has experience in video game adaptations like Uncharted and the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2, would be perfect for the MCU in the coming years, especially if she could land a role like Storm, Black Cat, or other fan-favorite characters.

Javier Bardem

Javier Bardem is an actor with an incredible skillset and the ability to play both nuanced and over-the-top characters, which would make him perfect for something in the MCU. The No Country For Old Men star would be a great fit for the iconic Galactus whenever the villain is introduced in the future.

Rosamund Pike

Rosamund Pike has played all manner of characters over the years, and that makes her a perfect fit for the MCU moving forward. Her dynamic range and ability to play both good and evil roles masterfully would be perfect for comic book staples like Emma Frost and Liandra Nermani, both of whom are tied to the X-Men franchise.

Lily Gladstone

Lily Gladstone became an overnight sensation upon the release of Killers of the Flower Moon, and rightfully so. We’re not saying it’s going to happen, but the Golden Globe-winning actress would be perfect in the MCU. Imagine Gladstone playing Indigenous characters like Silver Fox or Kushala.  

Iwan Rheon

Iwan Rheon technically appeared on Inhumans back in 2017, but this doesn’t mean we don’t want to see him show up in an MCU movie at some point in the future. The Game of Thrones actor, who didn’t appear in as many episodes as you’d think, played Maximus on the short-lived ABC series, so he could reprise his role or he could take on something new. However, it wouldn’t be nearly as intense as Ramsay Bolton.

Viola Davis

Viola Davis has already made her mark in the comic book world with her portrayal of Amanda Waller over in the DCEU, but this doesn’t mean she can’t jump over to the MCU and play an equally menacing character. The Oscar winner has already led a blockbuster with The Woman King, so she is more than capable of doing the same in a Marvel movie.

Naomie Harris

Naomie Harris has already shown up in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe with her portrayal of Shriek in Venom: Let There Be Carnage where she was crushed by a falling cathedral, but there’s no reason she couldn’t just play another version of the character in the MCU or take on a completely different role entirely.

Brendan Gleeson

Brendan Gleeson is appearing in Joker 2, and it would be really cool if the legendary actor also landed a role in the MCU somewhere down the road. The Harry Potter and The Banshees of Inisherin star would be perfect for a role if the Thor franchise is to continue, even if it meant voicing someone like Beta Ray Bill. 

Iko Uwais

Iko Uwais, star of the phenomenal Raid movies, has the acting ability and fighting skills to be a big hit in the MCU if given the chance. In the event this does happen, we’d hate for Uwais’ talents to be wasted like they were with his extremely small role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis retired after 2017’s Phantom Thread, but we’d love to see him step in front of the camera again in an MCU movie. The There Will Be Blood and Gangs of New York star would be a killer option for a character like Galactus and drink up all the planets like a big milkshake.

Who knows if we’ll see any of these actors show up in any of the upcoming Marvel movies, but with the way the MCU has shown us over the years, don’t count anyone out.

Stars are just like us—at least, they are when in the presence of their favorite Bravo Housewife. Jessica Chastain proved this because she was all sorts of relatable on the night the winners of the 75th Emmy Awards were announced, as she had a spirited run-in with one of her favorite reality stars: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Garcelle Beauvais.

The Oscar winner posted the behind-the-scenes encounter onto her Instagram Story, which showed both glammed-up women meeting at the awards' Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on January 15. In the cute clip, you can hear Chastain gushing about the RHOBH star: 

Beauvais gladly received the praise from Chastain, and she revealed that the "obsessed" feeling was "mutual," reposting the clip onto her own Instagram account: 

She also solidified the duo's newfound friendship by posting a pic with the Emmy nominee onto her Instagram grid, showing Garcelle in a black feathered frock from Badgley Mischka and Jessica in a bold neon green Gucci gown with a beaded fringe hem. 

Beauvais was an actress before becoming a full-time cast member on RHOBH in 2020, having starred in TV series like the sitcom The Jamie Foxx Show, the crime drama NYPD Blue and the legal procedural Franklin & Bash, so this wasn't her first Emmys run in. 

But it was seemingly her first encounter with the acclaimed The Eyes of Tammy Faye star, who has previously revealed that she seeks out Bravo shows on the 2024 TV schedule like Beauvais' The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The actress said reality TV is a way to come down from such heavily dramatic and draining performances -- which if you've seen Chastain's movies, is understandable. While on the TODAY show in May 2023 to promote her Tony-nominated Broadway stint in A Doll's House, Chastain told host Hoda Kotb:

When asked what her go-to Bravo series was, Chastain happily admitted: 

And funnily enough, Chastain's own home has a RHOBH connection: in January 2023, the actress-producer revealed during a Watch What Happens Live appearance that she had previously rented out the Bel Air home of Garcelle's Beverly Hills co-star Kyle Richards, well before fellow Housewife Sutton Stracke stayed there. Per Bravo, she told host Andy Cohen: 

Even funnier is the thought of Jessica Chastain inadvertently watching the Housewives antics of Garcelle, Kyle and Co. all the while living in one of their homes! 

If you, too, fangirl at the thought of running into one of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars, you can make like Jessica and catch up with all of the glamorous California ladies by streaming the Bravo series with a Peacock subscription. And, to keep up with Jessica Chastain's career, be sure to stay up to date on the 2024 movie schedule, and check out the series that got her to the Emmys, George & Tammy, with a Showtime or Hulu premium subscription. 

Taylor Swift is the queen of breakup songs, and it turns out that she’s also the queen of helping others get through a breakup too. While her music has obviously helped Swifties get through their relationship struggles for years, the singer has personally curated playlists to help others get through these tough times too. And Jessica Chastain revealed she was a recipient of one while recalling a sweet story about the pop star that she remembers “All Too Well” (in a very good way). 

Chastain was chatting with Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show about seeing Swift’s Eras Tour in Mexico City – which is where the fun little change to “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” happened – earlier this year. However, that wasn’t the first time the Oscar winner had interacted with the pop star as she recalled the first time they met, and the sweet way the “All Too Well” singer helped her through break up:

First of all, this night sounds epic. These two attended the Meg Gala long before Jessica Chastain became an Oscar winner and before many of the albums Swift is now releasing as re-recordings were dropped the first time. Continuing to tell this story about the "Cruel Summer" singer and her kind gesture that helped her get through a breakup, the Zero Dark Thirty star said: 

While you’d expect this kind of gesture from a bestie (like I’m sure Swift and Blake Lively have done this for each other), it sounds like the "Love Story" singer made one for Chastain after only knowing her for one day. It turns out, the Molly’s Game star was also baffled in the best way by the playlist, as she said:

Swift could have easily included many of her own songs – like “All Too Well,” “You’re Losing Me” and “Forever & Always”...although most of those weren’t out in 2011. However, knowing the thought and detail she puts into her work, I imagine the playlist was thoughtfully considered and impeccably curated. 

Clearly, Jessica Chastain was very touched by this gesture as she giddily re-told the story 12 years after it happened. Based on her enthusiasm about Swift, and the sweet photo she shared of them at the Eras Tour (seen below), I’d imagine she would have done the same thing for the pop star when she and Joe Alwyn broke up earlier this year. 

However, now Chastain has been married since 2017, and Swift is in a relationship with Travis Kelce. Maybe now they can share playlists of love songs on Spotify?

Overall, this sweet interaction between Jessica Chastain and Taylor Swift continues to show how beloved the pop star is for both her music and her kind actions. From Mariska Hargitay naming her cat “Karma” after the singer’s song to Kevin Costner posting about his love of the Eras Tour, A-listers of all kinds have been sharing their adoration for the “Anti-Hero” singer, and for good reason. It’s because when someone shows you love or appreciation like Swift showed The Eyes of Tammy Faye actress, you remember it “All Too Well.” 

Though Hollywood A-listers make more money for one movie that some of us will see in a lifetime, there are times where even some of the highest grossing actors of all time didn’t make as much as you'd think. Over the years, stars like Robert Downey Jr., Julia Roberts, and Brad Pitt have brought in massive paydays for acting and producing, but those same stars have also seen incredibly small paychecks for one reason or another.

If you’ve ever wanted to know about 33 actors who made way less than you’d think for a beloved movie, look no further…

Robert Downey Jr. Made $500,000 For Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr. was the first major star of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and would be a staple of the Infinity Saga for more than a decade. During this time, he made a ton of money for his superhero performances. However, he only took home a comparatively small payday of $500,000 for 2008’s Iron Man, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Bill Murray Made $9,000 For Rushmore

Bill Murray is one of the most beloved actors of all time and a frequent collaborator of Wes Anderson’s ever since the release of Rushmore back in 1998. That fruitful partnership started out modestly for the SNL alum, as he was paid $9,000 for his take on Herman Blume, per Vulture.

Gal Gadot Made $300,000 For Wonder Woman

When Gal Gadot first signed on to portray Diana Prince in the DCEU back in 2014, Variety reported that the Fast & Furious star would take on a salary of $300,000 per movie, including Wonder Woman, which was released three years later.

Julia Roberts Made $300,000 For Pretty Woman

Though she had some success at the box office prior to its release, Julia Roberts turned into a massive star thanks to 1990’s Pretty Woman and one of the most well-known A-listers on the planet. However, Roberts, who would go on to earn a ton of cash for movies like Erin Brockovich years later, reportedly received a modest sum of $300,000 for her role in the all-time great romantic comedy, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Hilary Swank Made $3,000 For Boys Don’t Cry

Hilary Swank won her first Oscar and became one of the most talked about actresses thanks to her transformative portrayal of Brandon Teena in Kimberly Peirce’s Boys Don’t Cry. When appearing on Women’s Dinner Party years later, Swank revealed she was paid $3,000 for the role, which wasn’t enough to qualify for health insurance.

Tom Hanks Made $50,000 For Toy Story

Tom Hanks, who won two Academy Awards prior to the 1995 release of Toy Story, was reportedly paid $50,000 to provide the voice of Woody in the landmark Pixar film, according to the Los Angeles Times. In the same article, the publication reported that Hanks made $5 million upfront for its 1999 sequel.

Oprah Winfrey Made $35,000 For The Color Purple

Oprah Winfrey received an Oscar nomination for her performance in Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple back in 1985. The media mogul, who is worth billions today, later told Essence she was paid $35,000 for portrayal of Sofia.

Robin Williams Made $75,000 For Aladdin

Aladdin will forever be remembered as one of the best Robin Williams movies, and rightfully so. And while the late actor provided countless hours of incredible lines for his co-starring performance, he only made $75,000 for his troubles, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Jamie Lee Curtis Made $8,000 For Halloween

John Carpenter’s Halloween, one of the best horror movies, turned Jamie Lee Curtis into a scream queen almost overnight. However, the Academy Award winner later told People Magazine that she only made $8,000 for her portrayal of Laurie Strode.

Nick Castle Made $25/Day For Halloween

Nick Castle has played Michael Myers a total of five times over the years, with the most recent being 2022’s Halloween Ends. Though the role made him a horror icon, Castle told Vanity Fair he was only paid $25 for each day of shooting in the original back in 1978.

Matthew McConaughey Made Less Than $200,000 For Dallas Buyers Club

Matthew McConaughey won an Oscar for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club, a role that ushered in a new era of his career. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he was paid less than $200,000 upfront for the movie9 but did receive an undisclosed amount on the backend.

Chris Evans Made $300,000 For Captain America: The First Avenger

Chris Evans was a driving force for the first few phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was paid handsomely for his efforts later on. However, when he was cast to play Steve Rogers in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, he reportedly only made $300,000, per The Guardian.

Jeff Daniels Made $50,000 For Dumb And Dumber

Jeff Daniels, who was mostly known for his dramatic roles at the time, was cast to appear alongside Jim Carrey in the Farrelly Brothers’ 1994 comedy Dumb and Dumber despite New Line Cinema wanting someone else. Years later, the directors told The Hollywood Reporter that the studio low-balled him with an offer of $50,000, thinking he’d say no. You know the rest.

Taraji P. Henson Made $150,000 For The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Taraji P. Henson received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a performance that netted her a great deal of screen time. However, as she later told Variety, she was only paid $150,000 for the gig, which was several hundred thousand dollars less than her initial request of $500,000.

Jonah Hill Made $60,000 For The Wolf Of Wall Street 

Jonah Hill was paid $60,000 for his portrayal of Donnie Azoff in Martin Scorsese’s 2013 epic comedy The Wolf of Wall Street. While that may seem small considering the size of his role, Hill later told Howard Stern (via BBC) that he immediately took the offer, adding that he would have sold his house and given all his money to work with the acclaimed director. 

Orlando Bloom Made $175,000 For The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy 

Orlando Bloom was an instrumental part of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, with his character, Legolas, being featured heavily throughout all three movies. During a 2023 appearance on The Howard Stern Show, the actor revealed he was paid a total of $175,000 for the entire project.

Jon Heder Initially Made $1,000 For Napoleon Dynamite 

Napoleon Dynamite pretty much came out of nowhere and took the world by storm in 2004, partly because its star, Jon Heder. A few years after the film’s release, Heder told Stuff Magazine that he initially made $1,000 from the movie but was later able to negotiate his deal after MTV picked up distribution.

Daisy Ridley Made Between $100,000 And $300,000 For Star Wars: The Force Awakens 

Daisy Ridley was a relatively unknown actress when she was cast in one of the lead roles in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which might explain her low salary for the 2015 blockbuster. According to Variety, that number was reportedly between $100,000 and $300,000.

John Boyega Made Between $100,000 And $300,000 For Star Wars: The Force Awakens 

John Boyega’s Finn was one of the most heavily featured characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but the young actor reportedly only received a payday somewhere between $100,000 and $300,000, per Variety.

James Earl Jones Made $7,000 For Star Wars

James Earl Jones’ dynamic voice gave Darth Vader a menacing edge in George Lucas' 1977 film Star Wars (and the rest of the franchise), but did you know that he was only paid $7,000 for the first movie? When speaking with the American Film Institute, the legendary actor admitted that he thought that was good money at the time.

Mel Gibson Made $9,000 For Mad Max 

After appearing in Mad Max, Mel Gibson would go on to lead some of the best action movies of all time, but back when he was cast in the late ‘70s, he was a broke college student. That’s why, as he told ExperienceWith.com, his $9,000 salary for George Miller’s dystopian thriller seemed like a fortune.

Seann William Scott Made $8,000 For American Pie 

American Pie was one of the biggest movies of the ‘90s, and Seann William Scott’s Stifler was its breakout character. So, how much did the young actor make for his career-defining role? Well, as he told The Rich Eisen Show in 2023, he was paid $8,000, most of which he spent on a used Thunderbird.

Christian Bale Made The Minimum Salary For American Psycho 

Christian Bale’s take on the unhinged Patrick Bateman in 2000’s American Psycho is one of the actor’s most unforgettable performances, but it could very well be one of his smallest paydays. Though he didn’t reveal the exact number in a 2022 GQ profile, the actor did say it was the “absolute minimum they were illegally allowed” to pay him.

Michelle Williams Made $625,000 For All The Money In The World 

Michelle Williams was reportedly only paid $625,000 for her portrayal of Gail Harris in Ridley Scott’s 2017 biographical crime thriller All the Money in the World, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Though this is a hefty fee, her co-star, Mark Wahlberg, was reported to have taken home $5 million for his role.

Barkhad Abdi Made $65,000 For Captain Phillips 

Barkhad Abdi became an overnight sensation following the release of Captain Phillips, in which he plays lead pirate Abduwali Muse. According to the New Yorker, Abdi’s acting debut and Oscar-nominated performance earned him $65,000.

Jennifer Lopez Made $0 For Hustlers 

Jennifer Lopez received a Golden Globe nomination for her role in Hustlers, a movie she made for free. During a GQ breakdown of her biggest career moments, the multi-talented star said she starred in and produced the movie for no upfront money, as she was investing in herself. However, it wasn’t disclosed as to how much she made on the backend of the film’s release, which was $157.6 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

Gunnar Hansen Made $800 For Texas Chain Saw Massacre 

Gunnar Hansen’s Leatherface is an instantly recognizable horror villain thanks to his mask made of human flesh and signature chainsaw. But did you know that the actor was only paid a three-digit sum for his performance in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre? In 2013, the actor told Fast Company that he made $800 for his part in the iconic ‘70s horror movie.

Dustin Hoffman Made $20,000 For The Graduate 

The Graduate was the movie that turned Dustin Hoffman into a young Hollywood star, but it was also one that didn’t earn him a whole lot of money. According to a 1968 New York Times article, Hoffman reportedly made $20,000 for his career-defining role, but he only ended up keeping $4,000 of that after expenses and taxes were taken out.

John Candy Made $414 For His Home Alone Cameo 

The late John Candy appears in Home Alone for only a few minutes, but it’s still wild to think that his cameo only netted the actor $414. In the Home Alone episode of Netflix’s The Movies That Made Us, it is revealed that Candy’s unforgettable portrayal of Gus Polinski, the Polka King of the Midwest, didn’t necessarily break the bank.

Jessica Chastain Made $1.75 Million For The Martian 

Jessica Chastain’s paycheck for The Martian was shockingly low. Around the time of the film’s 2015 release, there was a report that the actress made $7 million from her part, but she told The Huffington Post that she actually made around a quarter of that, which would be around $1.75 million. The film’s star, Matt Damon, reportedly made between $15 and 25 million for his part.

Brad Pitt Made $6,000 For Thelma And Louise 

Brad Pitt is one of the biggest and highest paid actors around today and has been that way for the better part of the past 30 years. However, that wasn’t always the case. According to the Daily Mail, the actor was paid just $6,000 for his breakout performance as JD in Ridley Scott’s Thelma and Louise.

Jon Voight Made The ‘Minimum’ Salary For Midnight Cowboy 

Jon Voight received all kinds of nominations for his performance in Midnight Cowboy, but the actor was paid the “minimum” for his portrayal of Joe Buck. When disclosing this to The Guardian decades later, Voight also revealed he received a $14.73 charge for meals on the final day of the shoot.

Adam Levine Made $0 For Begin Again 

Maroon 5 frontman and former coach on The Voice Adam Levine appeared in John Carney’s 2014 musical dramedy, Begin Again for free. When speaking with USA Today around the time of the film’s release, Levine explained that he did the movie “for no money,” stating that he had made enough through his other ventures and wanted the experience.

It’s safe to say that all of these actors have done okay for themselves over the years after making relatively small salaries throughout their career. But it’s still wild to think about Robert Downey Jr. only making half-a-million to play Tony Stark. What a steal.

Every fall, three film festivals run back-to-back that help to shape the annual race for Academy Awards glory. The Venice Film Festival, the Telluride Film Festival, and the Toronto International Film Festival program their collective slates with movies that hope to contend for year-end accolades, so experts head to these film meccas hoping to see the stories, performances, and craftwork that will contend for the top Oscars, handed out in March 2024. 

In collaboration with AMC Theatres, which aims to make modern movie masterpieces available to cinema fans through their AMC Artisan Films program, CinemaBlend traveled to Toronto for several days of movie screenings at TIFF 2023. And we left with a better sense of some contenders in multiple Oscar categories that we believe will be part of the conversation as the awards season heats up. Some of the names are very familiar, and tend to see themselves in the Oscar race time after time. Others, however, are complete surprises that still turned our heads, and deserve recognition. Here are nine Oscar contenders that emerged from the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. 

Jamie Foxx, The Burial

Jamie Foxx is no stranger to the Academy Awards, having won Best Actor for playing Ray Charles, and earning a nomination acting opposite Tom Cruise in Collateral. Foxx has made headlines as of late for his health scares, but his performance as a slick, fast-talking attorney in the legal courtroom thriller The Burial puts the conversation back on his charismatic screen presence. It’s a story based on true events, where a lawyer helps an underdog funeral home owner (Tommy Lee Jones) protect his business against a conglomerate. The Academy loves those types of stories, and Foxx is just that good.

Nicolas Cage, Dream Scenario

For a while now, Nicolas Cage has enjoyed a run where he basically plays “Nic Cage” on screen. Even when he’s Dracula in Renfield or an alternate Superman in The Flash, he’s still recognizable as the quirky character actor. But in Dream Scenario, Cage loses himself completely to play a schlubby college professor who begins showing up in everyone’s dreams… and starts getting used to the attention that comes with this phenomenon. With a push by A24, Cage easily could get into the Best Actor race (though it’s a competitive year, as our next selection will prove). 

Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

Alexander Payne once mined Paul Giamatti’s particular brand of fussiness for Oscar glory in the 2004 comedy Sideways. Their latest collaboration would strike similar chords in awards voters, as Giamatti relishes the particular role of a private school teacher ordered to chaperone the prep students who have no place to go over Christmas break. Payne’s attention to period detail is impeccable, and this absolutely will earn a Best Picture nomination (see below). But Giamatti is a huge part of the reason why The Holdovers works so well, and I predict he’ll be in the Best Actor conversation.  

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

It’s a strong year for male performances so far, which means someone is going to have to be left out. Don‘t bet against Jeffrey Wright, the beloved character actor who receives his own version of a Sideways-style midlife crisis comedy in American Fiction. He plays esteemed author “Monk” Ellison, who returns home to Boston to care for his impaired mother and wrestles with family, a potential new love, and a fresh direction for his writing career. Wright is spectacular – no real surprise – and deserves Oscar consideration… particularly after American Fiction won the coveted Audience Award at TIFF.  

Jessica Chastain, Memory

Often, you won’t even know that a movie is coming until it makes a splash on the festival circuit. And you would think that a movie that pairs Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard would be on our radar. But it wasn’t until Chastain attended the Venice Film Festival on behalf of Memory that we started paying attention to the story of former friends who reconnect at a high school reunion, mainly because reviews went nuts for Chastain. Can she ride that wave to an Oscar nomination? It would be her fourth, and would arrive on the heels of her winning for The Eyes of Tammy Faye. 

Ava DuVernay, Origin 

Never count Ava DuVernay out of awards consideration, especially when she’s exploring history, racial strife, and social controversies. The director surprised the industry when she sent her newest film, Origin, to both Venice and Toronto. But once the reviews started rolling in, it became clear that DuVernay’s unique adaptation of Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson’s book Caste would become a major player in the upcoming Oscars race. The film decimated our own Corey Chichizola, who called it the best movie he saw at TIFF 2023. And in addition to the awards buzz for leading lady Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard), the chances of Origin earning a Best Picture nomination are also high.

The Holdovers

When you finally see Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, you will know that it’s the ideal picture the Academy loves. That’s not a slight. Traditionally, there’s a formula, and when movie’s follow it well, they earn Oscars love. Payne is a pedigreed director, working off a dependable screenplay from David Hemingson. He has a terrific ensemble led by the great Paul Giamatti. The movie doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It’s a solid double smacked right between the shortstop and the second baseman. Enjoy it for what it is.  

Anatomy Of A Fall

Every once in a while, an international film makes its way into the Best Picture race. Roma, Amour, and Life is Beautiful are part of the ranks. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite became the first foreign-language film to win Best Picture! So the door has been kicked open, and it’s possible that Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall walks through this year. The German true-crime thriller rides along on a stellar lead performance by Sandra Huller, playing a successful author who becomes the lead suspect in her husband’s death. There are twists, and there are turns. And they all might lead to a Best Picture nomination when the nominees are announced early next year. 

Look for these, and other upcoming 2023 movies, as they make their way to an AMC Theatres near you – and possibly also onto their curated list of AMC Artisan films – in the coming weeks and months. 

The writers and actors strike is still ongoing and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to end anytime soon. It’s certainly rough for all those who are on strike, who are not working as they normally would. However, not everybody in Hollywood has completely stopped working. A few actors here and there are still working on individual projects, and then promoting them. So just what’s going on?

Jessica Chastain is one of those actors who is currently working. She attended the Venice Film Festival on behalf of her new film Memory (not to be confused with last year's Liam Neeson action flick of the same name). This is something she is allowed to do because the independent studios that produced the movie signed an interim agreement with SAG in which theory agreed to everything SAG-AFTRA is asking for during the current strike. She spoke to etalk and posted the conversation, explaining it this way… 

The primary organization that SAG-AFTRA is negotiating with is the AMPTP, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, but the members of that group are all major studios, Disney, Universal, Paramount, Sony, Netflix, Apple, and WB Discovery. Even if the union and the AMPTP came to a deal, the union would still need to negotiate with independent studios. But in this case, they have and in several cases, the studios are willing to give the actors what they want.

As Chastain says, the move has potentially powerful repercussions. If actors want to work, they’ll go where the work is, which means smaller studios who are willing to provide what the union wants could actually end up benefitting from the strike. We could get to a point where those are the only movies coming out if the strike goes on long enough. And if smaller studios are able to give actors what they want, it might put pressure on the larger ones to do the same. That's certainly the hope. Adam Driver has also recently promoted a film under the same sort of agreement.

Still, even among smaller studio projects, these deals are the exception more than the rule. There’s a lot of work yet to be done, and it certainly doesn’t look like the larger studios are in a hurry to make a deal with actors because a few of these interim agreements are in place. 

The strike shirts everybody in the industry/ It's one of the reasons those who can have donated millions to support the strike, so that money is available to those that need it. Nobody wants the strike to continue, but actors and writers clearly feel their grievances are worthy of being addressed. Some smaller studios apparently agree. 

Film festival season is in full swing with both the Venice and Toronto festivals happening this week. However, the red carpets are sparse, and there’s a noticeable lack of actors in attendance because of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. While many artists couldn’t make their way to the events to represent their movies because of this, some actors have exemptions through interim agreements, which means they can promote their movies. This includes Oscar-winner Jessica Chastain. While she is in Italy to talk about and premiere her film, she opened up about how it’s been uncomfortable to do so. 

Walking into the press conference for her new movie Memory, which was confirmed to have an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA on Thursday, Jessica Chastain wore a T-shirt that said “SAG-AFTRA on strike.” She clearly showed her support for her fellow actors, and explained during the interview, via Deadline, that she felt “nervous” to be in Italy promoting her work. The Eyes of Tammy Faye star said:

While going to the festival and talking about her film made her a bit “nervous” and may be uncomfortable, Chastain reiterated the goals of the interim agreements. Quite a few smaller studios, like Neon and A24, have agreed to meet SAG-AFTRA’s demands, which means they can proceed with production and promotion. Memory received one of these exemptions, and that’s why the actress and her co-star Peter Sarsgaard are able to be in Venice without going against the strike. The Molly’s Game star continued to speak about the importance of these agreements and getting out there to market movies under them:

Along with Chastain and Memory, the cast of A24’s Priscilla was also able to go to Venice to represent Sofia Coppola’s movie because they have an interim agreement. Meanwhile, Zendaya’s film Challengers was delayed, pushed back to the 2024 movie schedule and pulled from the festival because of the strike and not having an exemption. 

Like Jessica Chastain, Adam Driver also used the press conference in Venice for his film Ferrari to talk about the strikes. He called out streamers for refusing to meet demands, per Variety. He also commented on how the interim agreement helps show “that a smaller distribution company like Neon or STX International can meet the dream demands of what SAG is asking for.” 

Following Memory’s premiere in Venice, the drama about a surprise encounter after a high school reunion will make its way to the Toronto International Film Festival where it will have its North American premiere on September 12. It’s unclear where it will fall on the 2023 movie schedule following its festival run. However, as more information about its wide release comes out and more updates about the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes continue to break, we’ll keep you posted. 

The Eras Tour has attracted a crazy number of A-listers since its kickoff in March — particularly during the Los Angeles dates, drawing the likes of Jeff Goldblum, Cameron Diaz and Zoe Saldaña, who showed up to have the best time. The celebrity sightings aren’t over, though, just because Ms. Swift bid adieu to Hollywood to embark on the international leg of her tour. Academy Award winner Jessica Chastain got in on all the Swiftie fun, “spamming” her followers with photos and videos of the pop culture phenomenon and photos of her meet-and-greet.

Jessica Chastain hit up the August 26 show in Mexico City — where Taylor Swift made a small but meaningful change to a song to show her love to the crowd. The Zero Dark Thirty actress and her friends seemed to be having the time of their lives as they took a pic with the artist and then proceeded to sing and dance the night away! Check out her Instagram post: 

No VIP tent, no problem! The actress couldn’t have seemed less bothered by her vantage point. During “You Belong With Me,” Jessica Chastain’s video showed just how many other Swifties were probably just happy to be in the venue at all.

The actress’ “really good” Taylor Swift content should have come with a motion sickness warning for the video she took during “Shake It Off,” but I do love that she didn’t feel the need to stop dancing in order to capture a less-vomit-inducing moment. The Eras Tour may be over 3 hours long, but with the show supposedly so impressive it can alter one’s brain chemistry, I appreciate the effort to be present for as much of the 180 minutes-plus as possible.

Jessica Chastain also provided a look at one of Taylor Swift’s surprise songs on that night of the Eras Tour, with her companion having a well-deserved freak-out as the artist sang “Cornelia Street” off of her Lovers album.

Unlike Jennifer Garner and Simu Liu, The Eyes of Tammy Faye star didn’t reveal whether or not she participated in the exchange of friendship bracelets or other facets of the Eras Tour etiquette that fans have created, but the fun they clearly had singing along to their favorite songs is really all that should be required.

Over the months we’ve seen many other celebrities posting their experiences from the show that — even for those with connections — was hard to get tickets to. From Mindy Kaling, Sarah Michelle Gellar and even T-Swift’s former bestie Karlie Kloss to more unexpected Swifties like Aaron Rodgers, Flavor Flav and Kevin Costner (who grinned through a telling song), there’s no denying the Eras Tour is the place to see and be seen. 

The U.S. portion of the tour may be over for now, but there’s always plenty of new music and other things for Taylor Swift fans to look forward to. Also, those wanting a glimpse of what it’s like to see the artist live can check out her concert film Taylor Swift Reputation Stadium Tour, from 2018, which is available to stream with a Netflix subscription. 

Veronica Mars is one of the pivotal shows of the early 2000s. It was a critically acclaimed show with a dedicated fan base. Therefore, of course, many actors and actresses longed to be a part of it. The Veronica Mars actors were also talented and really helped give the show its identity. 

Even the Veronica Mars actors who guest starred added to the show’s appeal. Some of these guest stars and recurring characters were once unknown on Veronica Mars and are now household names. 

Let’s look back at some of the many now well-known actors who once appeared on the show.

Melissa Leo 

Academy Award winner Melissa Leo appears in over a hundred film and television projects. The Fighter earned her her first Oscar but she received critical acclaim and award-season recognition for many performances, including ones in Mildred Pierce, Louie, Prisoners, and Frozen River. 

Leo appeared in Veronica Mars Season 1 Episode 3, “Meet John Smith.” She plays Julia Smith, a transgender woman who reunites with her son after Veronica (Kristen Bell) helps him track her down. 

Jane Lynch 

You can’t think of Jane Lynch without thinking of Sue Sylvester from Glee. Sue is terrible but hilarious and often creates iconic moments with the main cast and the unforgettable Glee guest stars. In 2020, Lynch began hosting a revival of The Weakest Link. She has appeared in Two and a Half Men, Criminal Minds, Party Down (which is also co-created by Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas), Mascots, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. 

Lynch makes a brief appearance in Veronica Mars Season 1 Episode 6, “Return of the Kane.” She plays Mrs. Donaldson. a faculty member that Veronica approaches about voter rigging at a Neptune High election. 

Jessica Chastain 

As one of the most respected actresses of the last decade, Jessica Chastain has won numerous awards, including an Academy Award. Her first Academy Award happened in 2022 for her performance in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. She also received Academy Award nominations for Zero Dark Thirty and The Help. Her filmography includes A Most Violent Year, Scenes from a Marriage, George and Tammy, and It Chapter Two.

Before Chastain could deliver one of her many great performances, she appeared in Veronica Mars. It was one of her first screen roles. She appears in the 7th episode of Season 1, “The Girl Next Door” as Sarah Williams. Sarah is a neighbor friend of Veronica's who goes missing. 

Aaron Paul 

Aaron Paul became a household name for playing Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad. He also played the character on El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie and Better Call Saul.  Some of Paul’s screen highlights include roles in Truth Be Told, Westworld, The Path, and BoJack Horseman. He’s also had a great cameo or 20 in various projects and made plenty of guest appearances, including in Black Mirror and The Simpsons. 

Paul plays Eddie LaRoche, the main suspect in a murder and disappearance case in Veronica Mars Season 1, Episode 11, “Silence of the Lamb.” His sketchy behavior makes him a likely culprit. 

Anthony Anderson 

Anthony Anderson has created many memorable characters throughout his career. A few include Dre in black-ish, Detective Kevin Bernard in Law & Order, J.D in the Barbershop movies, and Antwon Mitchell in The Shield. He also appeared in Psych, Shameless, Beats, and Scream 4. Anderson has so many great forgotten performances as well.

He plays a gangsta rapper and former criminal named Bone Hamilton in Veronica Mars Season 1, Episode 13, “Lord of the Bling.” He hires Keith (Enrico Colantoni) to help him locate his missing daughter, who also used to be a friend of Veronica.

Adam Scott 

Adam Scott is best known for comedic roles in television shows such as Parks and Recreation, Step Brothers, The Good Place, and Party Down. He’s also the star of the AppleTV+ hit series Severance. 

Scott takes on a much more serious role in Veronica Mars. He plays Mr. Rooks, a teacher that divides Veronica and Keith in Veronica Mars Season 1, Episode 14, “Mars v. Mars. He’s accused of having an affair with a student. Veronica believes that he is innocent, but Keith can’t ignore the evidence. It’s one of the best Veronica Mars episodes. 

Leighton Meester 

Leighton Meester’s performance is the reason Blair Waldorf is such a beloved Gossip Girl character. Her film and TV credits include The Roommate, Single Parents. Life Partners, Making History, The Orville, and How I Met Your Father. 

Meester appears on multiple episodes of Veronica Mars as Carrie Bishop. Her first appearance is in “Mars v. Mars.” Her character accuses Adam Scott’s character of having a secret sexual relationship with her. The character of Carrie Bishop returns in the Veronica Mars movie, but Andrea Estella plays her. 

Tessa Thompson 

Tessa Thompson’s fame really blew up when she started playing Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, she has been in many well-known movies and TV shows. Some of her most popular movies include For Colored Girls, Dear White People, Selma, the Creed franchise, Sorry to Bother You, Passing, and Men In Black: International.

Tessa Thompson may be one of the people on this list that you do remember from Veronica Mars because she was a main character all throughout Season 2. She plays Jackie Cook, the main love interest of Wallace (Percy Daggs III). The character immediately left at the end of Veronica Mars Season 2. 

Taylor Sheridan 

Taylor Sheridan is an actor, director, and screenwriter. He has written many popular movies and TV shows, including Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown, 1883, and 1923. He also wrote the screenplay for the films Sicario, Hell or High Water, Wind River, Without Remorse, and Those Who Wish Me Dead.

Sheridan’s few acting credits include Veronica Mars. He had a recurring role as Danny Boyd in Veronica Mars Season 2. The character first appeared in Veronica Mars Season 2 Episode 8, "Ahoy, Mateys!" His character is part of a notorious crime family in Neptune.

Michael Cera 

Michael Cera may currently best be known for playing Allan in the Barbie movie. Before being the best male in Barbieland, he appeared in Juno, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Arrested Development, Black Mirror, and Life and Beth. 

Cera appears alongside his Arrested Development co-star Alia Shawkat in Veronica Mars. They appear in the episode “The Rapes of Graff” from Season 2. He plays Dean, a student at Hearst College who leads Veronica and Wallace’s tour of the campus

Armie Hammer 

Armie Hammer first stepped into the spotlight by playing the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network. He then appeared in such popular movies as J. Edgar, The Man from U.N.C.L.E, Call Me by Your Name, Sorry to Bother You, and Death on the Nile.

Hammer appears in Veronica Mars Season 3 Episode 3, “Wichita Linebacker.” He plays Kurt Fenstermacher, a football player who may lose his scholarship if he can’t retrieve the team’s playbook that was stolen from him.

Paul Rudd  

It’s hard to imagine anyone who hasn’t heard of Paul Rudd. He’s been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Ant-Man. He was Josh in Clueless. Mike in Friends. He’s also been in many iconic comedies such as Wet Hot American Summer, the Anchorman movies, The 40-Year Old Virgin, I Love You Man. He has so many great movies. Rudd has appeared in TV shows such as Parks and Recreation, Party Down, iZombie, and Only Murders in the Building. 

Rudd appears in Veronica Mars Season 3 Episode 17, “Debasement Tapes.” He plays Desmond Fellows, an aging rock star who Piz (Chris Lowell) gets to interview. However, the man is a disaster. 

There are a lot of other great actors and reality stars that you may have forgotten appeared on Veronica Mars, including Paris Hilton, Lisa Rinna, and Dianna Agron. You can catch all these stars and more by rewatching Veronica Mars. It’s definitely worth another rewatch.

Stream Veronica Mars on Hulu. 

Life is brighter when there is a little color in it, and that’s especially true when that color is pink. Considering the Barbie movie is one of the more prominent releases on the 2023 film schedule, and many other trends like Y2K fashion and neon colors have been making a splash, we’ve seen a resurgence of bright pink. Well, not only am I here for it, but these celebs, including Megan Fox, Sydney Sweeney, Zendaya and more, have shown their support for Barbiecore and pink becoming the color of 2023. 

Florence Pugh 

While bright pink has been one of the big colors of 2023, it started to gain traction in 2022. One of the most prominent examples of Barbiecore from last year came when Florence Pugh rocked a bright pink sheer Valentino gown that broke the internet. Following this viral moment, the Little Women star wore the bright color on a few other occasions, and she even went on to become the face of Valentino, where she participated in an ad campaign for a gorgeous bright pink purse.  

Sydney Sweeney 

Jumping forward to this year, Sydney Sweeney rocked a Barbiecore pink jumpsuit to promote her new rom-com Anyone But You, which is set to come out in December. The velvet baby pink jumpsuit was the perfect outfit for the occasion, and the Euphoria star looked radiant in the Barbie adjacent look. Not only was it perfect to promote her rom-com, it also fit the pink trend. 

Megan Fox

Like Pugh, one of the actors who really made a splash in Barbie pink last year was Megan Fox. Both her and Machine Gun Kelly have worn pink on many occasions (as you’ll see later), however, this look was one of my favorites. In this instance, the Jennifer’s Body star went full Barbiecore in an underboob-baring outfit that included cargo pants, pink heels and a giant pink fuzzy bucket hat. Overall, it was giving Barbie, but it was also tapping into some of the hottest trends of the last few years.

 Margot Robbie And Ryan Gosling 

When the actors behind Barbie and Ken walk a red carpet, obviously they have to show up in style. When Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling rolled up to CinemaCon they wore Barbie-tastic looks that their characters would be proud of. Between the Drive star’s fuzzy pink bomber jacket and “Directed by Greta Gerwig” shirt, and the I, Tonya actor wearing a gingham set reminiscent of her character’s dress in the Barbie trailer, these two were absolutely slaying the Barbiecore look and dressing 100% on theme for their new movie.

Hailee Steinfeld 

CinemaCon 2023 really seemed like the place to be when it came to Barbiecore outfits, as Hailee Steinfeld rocked a gorgeous strapless neon pink dress to an event for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The actress, who plays Spider-Gwen among the Into the Spider-Verse sequel cast, donned a look that had the essence of her character, and contributed to the moment the color pink is having. 

Zendaya  

Queen of fashion, Zendaya has obviously played into the Barbiecore trend on multiple occasions, however, one of my favorite looks from her was when she wore a light pink Valentino gown on the carpet for the 2023 SAG Awards. She complimented the rose-covered gown with millions in bling from Bulgari, and she looked like a Barbie ready to go to a ball. 

Stephanie Hsu 

Stephanie Hsu brought Barbiecore to the Oscars as she cheered on her Everything Everywhere All at Once cast mates who won Academy Awards, and celebrated her first nomination. According to InStyle, the bright pink gown was made by Valentino, as you can see the brand also loves a Barbiecore moment, and the actress looked fabulous as she walked the white carpet in the mermaid-like, ballooning gown.

Sabrina Carpenter  

From the red carpet to street style, Barbiecore has made its mark all over the fashion industry. This has been proven by loads of A-Listers, however, one of my favorite streetwear looks came when Sabrina Carpenter rocked a pink striped tank, sheer neon pink skirt and platform baby pink heels – let’s just say she was giving Y2K Barbie. As Seventeen pointed out the singer/actress really looked like the iconic doll as she hopped between the Spotify Best New Artist event and the Stella McCartney X Adidas Party. 

Machine Gun Kelly  

Machine Gun Kelly has famously made his brand pink, I mean his Instagram handle is literally Mr. Pink, and his documentary was called Life in Pink, and those are just two examples of his love for the color. 

While MGK and Megan Fox have been in a rough patch recently, there is no doubting they are a fashion power couple, and know how to rock a pink moment. They proved this again when the rocker wore a hot pink double-breasted suit with red roses, while the actress stunned in a shiny light pink Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini evening gown, per Harper’s Bazaar, at the Good Mourning premiere.

Lizzo

Of course, Lizzo has also slayed the Barbie pink trend! The singer showed up to the premiere of her reality competition Watch Out For The Big Grrrls last year in this fabulous bright pink Valentino mini dress, per her Instagram. Even her pose is giving Barbie energy. Overall, this wonderful singer absolutely killed the Barbiecore vibe with all this neon pink. 

Harry Styles

Harry Styles has also embraced the Barbiecore look, especially when he headlined Coachella (and specifically on the night Lizzo was his guest). The “As It Was” singer looked absolutely amazing in his big pink fury jacket and matching metallic pants and vest. As he rocked out in the desert he had the perfect look to compliment it, and he showed us all that he really knows how to kill a pink fit. 

Jessica Chastain 

Rocking a bright pink Zuhair Murad gown to the 2023 SAG Awards, Jessica Chastain took home her award in style dressed to the nines in an elegant Barbiecore look. Women’s Wear Daily noted the gorgeous off-the-shoulder gown and the Gucci jewels she complimented the dress with. Overall, it was an ensemble that tapped into the opulence of the awards, while also playing into the Barbie pink trend.

As you can see, these celebs have all had completely different takes on Barbiecore, and have rocked pink in so many fun and new ways. So, as Barbie’s release date gets closer (mark your calendars for July 21) I’m positive we’ll have even more fabulous pink looks from more celebs.  

Awards Season is currently in full swing, with cinephiles watching as their favorite projects and/or actors are honored for their work. While it all leads to the upcoming Oscars, last night the illustrious Screen Actors Guild Awards were held, which included some groundbreaking wins. In fact, the 2023 SAG Awards had everything from an emotional Brendan Fraser to a Parent Trap reunion. Plus one epic stage trip that's sure to make the rounds online.

Part of the reason why fans watch Awards Shows from home is to see various celebrities gathered in one room, usually resulting in a few viral moments breaking the internet. The 2023 SAG Awards were no exception, although they thankfully happened without any wild onstage antics like last year's Oscars. Let's break down some of the biggest moments from the star-studded event.

Brendan Fraser's Emotional Acceptance Speech

Unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably aware that Brendan Fraser is in the midst of a thrilling comeback. Affectionally titled the Brenaissance, the 54 year-old actor has been getting universal praise for his performance in Darren Aronofsky's The Whale. Fraser has been doing great during Awards Season, and is the favorite to take home the coveted Oscar for Best Actor. That trend continued as Fraser took home the SAG Award, and he got emotional in the midst of his latest acceptance speech. You can check out the speech for yourself below:

Jessica Chastain Totally Tripped On Her Way To The Stage

Aside from seeing the gorgeous looks worn by stars, Awards Shows usually deliver one or two viral moments that weren't intended. Unfortunately for actress Jessica Chastain, she was at the center of one such misstep... literally. Because as she ascended the stairs of the stage to accept the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series (for her performance in George & Tammy) she stumbled. It didn't take long for that video to get around social media, including some comparisons to Jennifer Lawrence falling before accepting her Oscar. Check out the clip below:

Ouch. While Jessica Chastain didn't actually fall down, she did have to catch herself while attempting to get up the stairs to accept her SAG Award. But given the fact that she was wearing a gown, you can't blame her for not being able to see the stairs she was accepted to walk up. Hey, even stunning talents like Chastain fall down sometimes.

The Parent Trap Reunion '90s Kids Didn't Know They Needed

With actors like Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan being honored for their work on The Whale and Everything Everywhere All at Once respectively, the nostalgic feelings were real for the 2023 SAG Awards. And '90s kids everywhere freaked out over the surprising Parent Trap reunion that also occurred at the starry event. Namely because Abbott Elementary star Lisa Ann Walter brought her co-star Elaine Hendrix aka the villainous Meredith Blake, as her date. Check out Chessy and Meredith back together after all these years. 

Where's Lindsay Lohan when you need her? The '90s remake of The Parent Trap is one that countless kids watched upon its release, and it's still remained part of the pop culture landscape. This is partly thanks to the performance of its cast, with both Lisa Ann Walter and Elaine Hendrix having a special place in '90s kids' hearts. 

Ke Huy Quan's Emotional, Groundbreaking Win

While Brendan Fraser was emotional while accepting his SAG Award, he wasn't the only one who shed a tear at last night's ceremony. Jamie Lee Curtis also showed how much it mean to to her, as did her Everything Everywhere All at Once co-star Ke Huy Quan. The Indiana Jones star's comeback has been a powerful story, and it was made all the more significant when he became the first Asian actor to win the Best Male Actor In a Supporting Role. You can see his understandably emotional reaction/acceptance speech below: 

Clearly the SAG Awards were a lively event this year. And it should be fascinating to see how the rest of Awards Season ultimately pan out, specifically the forthcoming Academy Awards. Will the winners go down the same, or will there me some surprising snubs? Only time will tell, but there will no doubt be plenty of viral moments. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was published in 2017 and made quite an impression. The historical fiction novel remains a phenomenon among book readers and is currently remains up top in Amazon’s best seller list. With that, ever since it was announced that Netflix is giving the book a film adaptation, fans have been awaiting the movie’s casting, and Jessica Chastain has become a favorite for a part. And yes, the news has spread to the Oscar-winning actress herself, leading her to share a reaction. Aside from that though, there are more casting hypotheticals to consider.

With the fancasting going so far as to peg Chastain, we need to talk about it, along with the other popular stars that devotees would love to see in the movie. Needless to say, there are a ton of great ideas out there. 

How Jessica Chastain Reacted To Seven Husbands Fancasting

Let’s start with Jessica Chastain. The 45-year-old actress -- known for Zero Dark Thirty and The Eyes of Tammy Faye -- has long been a favorite among fans to play Celia St. James, who is a main character in the novel and the secret lover of Evelyn Hugo throughout. Chastain was asked if she was aware of fans' desire for her to get the parent when she recently guested on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (via Twitter). Here’s how she responded: 

News really does travel fast across the Internet! The had a subtle answer but one that totally makes sense. There are many great Jessica Chastain movies, and that's in great part due to the fact that the actress can be particular about the parts that she picks. The adaptation, which should be worth a Netflix subscription, was announced in March 2022 and seems to be early in development at the moment. So even if the actress is officially in the running for the part it could be sometime before the streamer reaches out to her (or anyone else that's being considered).

Who Are The Other Popular Actors That Fans Want For Seven Husbands? 

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Jessica Chastain isn’t the only actor fans have been talking about in regards to the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo movie. Another popular one who's name has been thrown around for Evelyn Hugo herself on Twitter is Ana de Armas. The actress is Latina like the character and embodied some of the personality traits of the character in her Marilyn Monroe transformation in Blonde. 

However, because the actress literally just played a tormented ‘50s starlet, I don’t imagine she’ll want to repeat herself. Another actress people are talking about for Hugo is Eiza González, of I Care A Lot and Godzilla vs. Kong, who is a great pick as well. As far as the older version of the character, who tells a young journalist her life story, Rita Moreno is also a big favorite.

Whenever the cast list is finally released, fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo are going to be chaotic. (And funny enough, we didn’t even talk about all those husbands that need to be cast!) It'll be interesting to see how things shake out. While you wait, know that another book fromTaylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy Jones and the Six, is set to be adapted for TV, and those with an Amazon Prime subscription can check it out on March 3. 

2021 finally saw Jessica Chastain win an oscar for her guiding light of a performance in the somewhat uneven biopic The Eyes of Tammy Faye. It was her third nod, having been nominated in the past for Best Supporting Actress in 2012 for The Help and her leading role in Zero Dark Thirty the following year. So, any project the Academy Award-winning actress could want is a real possibility. In a new interview, the actress revealed her love for Jamies Bond movies and that she has the perfect role in mind if she were to be approached to be a part of a future 007 project, and it's not the role of a Bond girl.

The Molly's Game actress appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to promote her upcoming project, George & Tammy, a limited biographical series focusing on the lives and romance between country musicians George Jones and Tammy Wynette. The late-night host asked Jessica Chastain if there was truth in that she had expressed interest in playing a Bond villain in an upcoming 007 movie. The actress said in the past, she would often be asked in interviews if she was interested in being a Bond girl, a pinnacle of success for women at the time the actress began in Hollywood. However, it does indeed seem that Chastain would be up for playing a baddie She said: 

Though Jessica Chastain would have undoubtedly made a fantastic Bond girl, the idea of her playing the villain is far more exciting. Who can blame her for wanting to play the antagonist? The bad guys always get to have all the scene-chewing fun and, in some cases, they are often more memorable than the hero. The Daniel Craig era of 007 ended with No Time To Die last year so, hopefully, as the Wilson and Broccoli family search for their new Bond (as Henry Cavill remains at the top of many lists), they are taking notes on Chastain's interest in a villainous role. 

The X-Men alum would love to play a villain, but there is one 007 part she has zero interest in. Jimmy Fallon reminded the actress that Bond producers are still searching for the next 007 and stated that the actress could be the first female in the part. Gender swapping the role is something Daniel Craig said could work as long as the person is suitable for the job. The Tonight Show audience erupted in applause when presented with the concept of the IT Chapter Two actress taking up the character, but she didn't have it. The actress continued: 

Let's let the woman fulfill her dream! Who knows, maybe she will land the role she desires one day and will go to the top of CinemaBlend's ranking of the most effective Bond villains. And if not, we'll still have plenty of great Jessica Chastain movies to enjoy. 

As mentioned, Jessica Chastain will appear next in the upcoming Josh Brolin-produced biographic series, George & Tammy, in which she stars alongside Michael Shannon. If you want to watch the six-episode drama when its released on December 4th, all you need is a Paramount+ subscription. 

Oscar Isaac is a flirtatious dude with a great sense of humor. From his steamy moment on the red carpet with Jessica Chastain last year, to the “cock sock” he gave to Denis Villeneuve as a gift after filming his nude scene in Dune, it’s pretty clear that he is both flirtatious and fun, with a sexual sense of humor, and he’s not afraid to talk about it. This sense of humor was firing on all cylinders recently when the Moon Knight actor referred to himself as a “cock tease.” Now, after hearing this, the internet has some thoughts. 

While in an interview about his new comic book Head Wounds: Sparrow with Collider, Isaac was asked about the possibility of a Season 2 for Moon Knight. This is a topic that even if he does know something, he can't talk about it. For years now, all upcoming Marvel projects have been shrouded in secrecy, however, they are also hot topics. When asked about them, some actors aggressively and hilariously deny the rumors (I’m looking at you Andrew Garfield), or straight up give away spoilers (cough, cough Tom Holland and Mark Ruffalo), or go the boring route and just say I don’t know. Meanwhile, Oscar Isaac is saying things like this: 

Yes, you heard that right. When asked about adding a second season of Moon Knight to the list of upcoming Marvel shows, rather than just saying ‘I don’t know,’ Isaac gave a very Oscar Isaac response, calling himself a “cock tease.”  While it was funny, many people of the internet pointed out how he could have answered, like @chismosavirus who tweeted: 

It seems like many agreed, as the tweet has nearly 5,000 likes on it. Meanwhile, others, like @jessecalvillo commented on how horny his response was, writing: 

Some fans were super shocked by how Isaac responded to the question, commenting funny photos like this one from @kirksburner8: 

Others weren’t as surprised, and had hilarious responses to the Isaac's tease, like @buggis6027 who tweeted: 

And finally, to round out the hilarious, and opinionated, responses to Isaac's sexual way of saying ‘I don’t know,’ @heilthenimon tweeted: 

Could he have just said, “I don’t know,” like the Moon Knight showrunner when asked about the character joining the Avengers? Yes, he could have. But, what fun would that be? These Marvel stars spend a lot of time squirming around questions they can’t answer, and I appreciate Isaac’s sense of humor about it all. I also don’t think it’s all that surprising he responded in this way, because he has an extremely flirtatious and sexy track record. 

I’m sure we’ll get more funny responses like this from Isaac in the near future, as he’s part of the Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse cast and has a few other projects in the works. However, while we wait for more hilarious and sometimes shocking answers from the actor, you can go back and watch the Marvel projects in order, including his show Moon Knight, with a Disney+ subscription. 

Between Obsession and Backrooms, we’re having a heck of a great summer for horror already, and there's definitely more to come. From new installments for beloved franchises Insidious, Resident Evil and The Exorcist to original flicks from Robert Eggers, Eli Roth and Mike P. Nelson, there are tons of reasons the 2026 movie schedule (and beyond) will be keeping us up at night.

I’ve rounded up a mostly comprehensive list of all the slashers, serial killer thrillers, psychological chillers, creature features, sci-fi freakshows, and whatever else today’s horror filmmakers are throwing at us. Will any of the releases listed below eventually make our list of the best horror movies ever? Let’s take a look at all the worthy contenders on the way.

Pinocchio Unstrung - July 24, 2026

Cast & Director: Jude-Evan Lloyd, Robert Englund, Richard Brake, Cameron Bell, Jessica Balmer, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney. Rhys Frake-Waterfield (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Pinocchio Unstrung About? A horror-centric retelling of the classic Carlo Collodi tale, in which the titular magical doll is introduced to a world where evil runs amok, and he aims to put a stop to all of it.

Why We’re Excited: It’s the latest entry in the Twisted Childhood Universe lineup, and Robert Englund voices the gnarly looking Jiminy Cricket. Need there be any other reasons?

Watch While Waiting: Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey and the rest of the Twisted Childhood Universe movies

Her Private Hell - July 24, 2026

Cast & Director: Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, Havana Rose Liu, Diego Calva, Shioli Kutsuna, Aoi Yamada, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Nicolas Winding Refn (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Her Private Hell About? Her Private Hell takes us on a journey with Elle as she looks for her father after a mysterious mist that engulfs her city. Along the way, she meets an American GI who's on a mission to rescue his daughter from Hell.

Why We’re Excited: Ever since Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn famously made Drive, we really sat up and paid attention. His films are usually weird (complimentary) and full of style, so we’re ready to follow him to Hell.

Watch While Waiting: The Neon Demon, Companion

Haunted Heist - July 24, 2026

Cast & Director: Lil Rel Howery, Tiffany Haddish, Karlous Miller, King Bach, Brett Gelman, Tony Baker. Lil Rel Howery (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Haunted Heist About? A thieving ex-con invites three lifelong friends on a seemingly innocent trip that ends up being an attempt to steal a valuable dagger from a cult of racist ghouls.

Why We’re Excited: Lil Rel Howery is rarely involved with anything that isn’t fun and silly in the best ways, and we’re hoping his long-delayed directorial debut isn’t an exception. Plus, anytime a horror movie can boast a majority-Black cast, it’s a celebration.

Watch While Waiting: The Blackening, Get Out

The Devil’s Mouth - July 29, 2026

Cast & Director: Kathryn Newton, Lana Condor, Gavin Casalegno, Nico Hiraga, Tommi Rose, Tayme Thapthimthong. Jeff Wadlow (Director)

How to see it: Prime Video

What’s The Devil’s Mouth About? A group of college kids vacationing in Thailand are taken to a remote cave system where a bloodthirsty shark is waiting to strike.

Why We’re Excited: I’m sold just by Kathryn Newton and Lana Condor being in a shark movie, but the gorgeous setting doesn’t exactly hurt, and even if Jeff Wadlow’s filmography is questionable, the script from Aja Gabel and Myung Joh Wesner was a previous Black List entry.

Watch While Waiting: Dangerous Animals, The Shallows

Soulm8te - August 1

Cast & Director: Lily Sullivan, David Rysdahl, Claudia Doumit, Oliver Cooper, Steve Chusak, Emma Ramos. Kate Dolan (Director)

How to see it: Digital and VOD

What’s Soulm8te About? An R-rated spinoff of M3GAN and its sequel, Soulm8te follows a man who deals with the death of his beloved wife by purchasing an android that becomes a little too attached.

Why We’re Excited: The simplistic logline of “M3GAN, but sexy?” is probably enough. The fact that Universal bypassed theaters to bring this thriller straight to streaming could be seen as worrisome, but I’d rather watch this at home anyway.

Watch While Waiting: M3GAN, Child’s Play, The Boy

The Last House - August 7, 2026

Cast & Director: Greta Lee, Wagner Moura, Riley Chung, Emma Ho, Noah Alexander Sosnowski, Sam Lerner. Louis Leterrier (Director)

How to see it: Netflix

What’s The Last House About? A family gets unexplainably trapped inside their home after it becomes sealed shut, and they have to work together to survive amidst whatever is happening outside and the lack of food and other supplies inside.

Why We’re Excited: It sounds like a solid twist on outdoorsy survival stories, where the comforts of one’s own home can become a nightmare. Plus, put Greta Lee and Wagner Moura leading any project, and it’s gonna be a banger.

Watch While Waiting: Hush, Funny Games

Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma - August 7, 2026

Cast & Director: Hannah Einbinder, Gillian Anderson, Amanda Fix, Arthur Conti, Eva Victor, Zach Cherry, Sarah Sherman Jasmin Savoy Brown, Quintessa Swindell, Kevin McDonald, Jack Haven, Jane Schoenbrun (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma About? This one follows a queer filmmaker (Einbinder), who is hired to remake a classic slasher franchise akin to Friday the 13th. When she becomes obsessed with casting the final girl of the original movie (Anderson), “a whole new kind of slasher emerges,” per Deadline.

Why We’re Excited: I Saw The TV Glow proved Jane Schoenbrun is one of the most original and inventive horror filmmakers working right now, so of course we’re interested in their latest.

Watch While Waiting: I Saw The TV Glow, We're All Going to the World's Fair

Ice Cream Man - August 7, 2026

Cast & Director: Ari Millen, Charlie Zeltzer, Shiloh O’Reilly, Kiori Mirza Waldman, Sarah Abbott, Benjamin Byron Davis, Karen Cliche, Eli Roth (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Ice Cream Man About? A mysterious ice cream truck driven by an even more mysterious man sends a suburban town into bloody hysteria with frozen desserts that turn children into violent monsters.

Why We’re Excited: This looks like another ridiculous romp from Eli Roth in the vein of Thanksgiving, and Ari Millen looks like a total creepster in his titular job uniform.

Read While Waiting: The ever-brilliant Ice Cream Man comic series from W. Maxwell Prince and Martin Morazzo. It’s not related, but is downright chilling all the same.

Insidious: Out Of The Further - August 21, 2026

Cast & Director: Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Lin Shaye, Sam Spruell, Laura Gordon, Jacob Chase (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Insidious 6 About? Rather than the sixth Insidious movie being a continuation, this will be a spinoff. Per Deadline, Insidious: Out Of The Further follows a young mother raising her daughter in the same house she grew up in when she learns she can travel into The Further.

Why We’re Excited: Following 2018’s lackluster sequel subtitled The Last Key, franchise star Patrick Wilson got behind the camera for 2023’s somewhat better The Red Door. Despite the franchise’s dwindling creative results, Insidious taking a new direction here could be interesting.

Watch While Waiting: The first two Insidious movies, Come Play

The Whisper Man - August 28, 2026

Cast & Director: Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott, Michael Keaton, John Carroll Lynch, Hamish Linklater, Owen Teague, Will Brill. James Ashcroft (Director)

How to see it: Netflix

What’s The Whisper Man About? A widowed crime writer regains contact with his retired detective father after his 8-year-old son goes missing, and evidence points to a decades-old case involving a serial killer.

Why We’re Excited: The stacked cast would be enough regardless of who was behind the camera, but director James Ashcroft is as much a draw as anyone, as he helmed a pair of excellent and unnerving films with 2021’s Coming Home in the Dark and 2024’s The Rule of Jenny Pen.

Watch While Waiting: Not to repeat myself so soon, but Coming Home in the Dark and The Rule of Jenny Pen.

Buddy - September 4, 2026

Cast & Director: Keegan-Michael Key, Cristin Milioti, Topher Grace, Michael Shannon, Patton Oswalt, Clint Howard, Casper Kelly (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Buddy About? Have you ever been spooked while watching 90s children’s TV? Well, prepare to be… because Buddy is about a group of kids who live in one and are kept there by its tyrannical host, Buddy, who also happens to be a giant bright orange unicorn.

Why We’re Excited: As if the premise doesn’t speak for itself already, we’re ready to see a cast of comedy-forward actors front this horror flick that’s already gotten rave reviews for being “fun”, “weird” and “unhinged”, per Rotten Tomatoes reviews.

Watch While Waiting: Mandy, The Banana Splits Movie

Onslaught - September 4, 2026

Cast & Director: Adria Arjona, Alex Pereira, Dan Stevens, Eric Wareheim, Reginald VelJohnson, Michael Biehn, Drew Starkey, Rebecca Hall, Maurice Green. Adam Wingard (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Onslaught About? A mother and military vet fights to keep her daughter safe from genetically modified super-soldiers being tested on in secret facility nearby.

Why We’re Excited: Adam Wingard and screenwriter Simon Barrett have a stellar track record for kinetic action-horror, and it’s great to see the director returning to his gory roots after two Godzilla x Kong movies.

Watch While Waiting: You’re Next, The Guest

Don’t Move - September 11, 2026

Cast & Director: Lyndsy Fonseca, Russ Vitale, Tom Cavanagh, Rob Riggle, Hunter King, Joseph Lee Anderson. Maclain Nelson (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Don’t Move About? Based on the novel of the same name, the story follows a widow whose church group gets stranded on a camping trip, and becomes prey for a giant prehistoric arachnid.

Why We’re Excited: A giant spider movie in 2026? Hell yeah! Don’t Move is also a fully self-aware tale, as Impractical Jokers comedian James S. Murray both wrote the novel and co-wrote the screenplay.

Watch While Waiting: Arachnophobia, Sting

Resident Evil - September 18, 2026

Cast & Director: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cregger (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Untitled Resident Evil Movie About? The video game adaptation has a medical courier named Bryan (Abrams) finding himself in a survival situation when a zombie outbreak occurs around him. Per the writer/director (via Deadline), it will be “unlike any of the previous films” and a “wild ride.” He’s a big fan of the video games, but at his CinemaCon presentation, Cregger said he’s “not trying to be completely obedient to the lore of the games,” per Bloody Disgusting.

Why We’re Excited: Zach Cregger earned the respect of horror fans with Barbarian, and blew it out of the water with the Oscar-winning horror film of last year, Weapons. Seems like as good of a time as any for him to take on a franchise, and Resident Evil could use a good movie about it.

Watch While Waiting: Weapons, the Resident Evil movies

Victorian Psycho - September 25, 2026

Cast & Director: Maika Monroe, Thomasin McKenzie, Jason Isaacs, Amy De Bhrún, Jacobi Jupe

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Victorian Psycho About? Based on the novel of the same name by Virginia Feito, this one’s about a governess named Winifred Notty hired to live with the Pounds family. Since this is in a horror movie list, you can probably guess that it’s no Mary Poppins story.

Why We’re Excited: Maika Monroe has become a mainstay in the horror genre, and her opposite Jason Isaacs is going to be a creepy good time.

Watch While Waiting: The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, The Babysitter, Nanny

Other Mommy - October 9, 2026

Cast & Director: Jessica Chastain, Jay Duplass, Dichen Lachman, Rob Savage (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Other Mommy About? Based on the novel by Bird Box author Josh Malerman, this upcoming horror flick, which was previously titled Incidents Around The House, is about an eight-year-old girl named Bela who becomes haunted by an entity she calls “Other Mommy.”

Why We’re Excited: Other Mommy is produced by the horror geniuses of our time, James Wan and Jason Blum, and the plotline sounds particularly terrifying.

Watch While Waiting: The Sixth Sense, Dust Bunny

Clayface - October 23, 2026

Cast & Director: Tom Rhys Harries, Max Minghella, Naomi Ackie, James Watkins (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Clayface About? James Gunn’s DC universe recently had a very successful start with Superman, and in 2026 the upcoming Clayface movie hopes to continue the streak with a tale Gunn has described as a “pure fucking horror” film, and just in time for Halloween! Between that and the movie’s script being written by Mike Flanagan, who is very famous in the horror space, it’s going to be a lot of horror fans' most anticipated comic book movie. You can check out the first, very haunting footage.

Why We’re Excited: The pages of DC Comics have had some great storylines that can lend themselves to great horror movies, but we just haven’t seen DC or Marvel fully commit to it yet. That’s what makes Clayface most exciting!

Watch While Waiting: The Thing, Brightburn

Godzilla Minus Zero - November 6, 2026

Cast & Director: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Min Tanaka, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Yuki Yamada, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Sakura Ando, Miou Tanaka, Sae Nagatani. Takashi Yamazaki (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Godzilla Minus Zero About? A sequel to the 2023 smash hit Godzilla Minus One, the new film is set two years later, and centers on another larger-than-life catastrophe for the Shikishima family and military to deal with.

Why We’re Excited: The first film took home the Oscar for its visual effects, and that’s a huge part of why this sequel has been so eagerly anticipated. Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla is truly the king of the monsters.

Watch While Waiting: Godzilla Minus One, Yamazaki’s “Foodlassla” commercial

Return Of The Living Dead - November 13, 2026

Cast & Director: Devon Sawa, Casimere “Cash” Jollette, Kynlee Heiman, Alexander Ward, Steve Wolsh (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Return Of The Living Dead About? Set in a small Pennsylvania town during Christmas time a year and a half after the events of the original movie. It’s described as a “brand-new adventure” that’s not a reboot or remake, per Bloody Disgusting.

Why We’re Excited: This is the first time we’ll see a movie from this franchise in twenty years. After the long break, we’re so interested in what the iconic horror franchise will be like in 2026.

Watch While Waiting: The five Return of the Living Dead movies

Werwulf - December 25, 2026

Cast & Director: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, Ralph Ineson, Robert Eggers (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Werwulf About? After tackling vampires for Nosferatu, Robert Eggers is taking on werewolves next with a movie called Werwulf, which he co-wrote with his The Northman collaborator Sjón. It’s set in 13th-century England and is about a mysterious creature that starts to lurk in its countryside, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Why We’re Excited: We loved Nosferatu, and just about everything Robert Eggers has done so far, so who’s to say his streak of creepy good movies won’t continue here?

Watch While Waiting: Nosferatu, The Lighthouse, The Witch

Pendulum - January 1, 2027

Cast & Director: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Phoebe Dynevor, Jacki Weaver, Norman Reedus, Darren Aronofsky (Producer), Mark Heyman (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Pendulum About? It’s about a couple who decide to visit a remote retreat together in New Mexico after sharing a traumatic event. While Patrick (Gordon-Levitt) is skeptical of the practices and starts questioning its leader’s motivations, he watches as his partner falls for them completely.

Why We’re Excited: Mary Heyman famously wrote the script for Black Swan, so we’re definitely curious about his directorial debut.

Watch While Waiting: Black Swan, The Boogeyman

The Third Parent - January 20, 2026

Cast & Director: Rob Lowe, Roselyn Sanchez, Crispin Glover, David Michaels (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s The Third Parent About: Taking place during the Fourth of July holiday, when an unexpected and disturbing visitor named Tommy Taffy arrives at an all-American family’s celebration and insists on being part of the festivities.

Why We’re Excited: Rob Lowe fronting a horror movie is something we’ve just got to see. Oh, and Back To The Future fans – Crispin Glover is playing Tommy Taffy!

Watch While Waiting: Us, Jaws, The Purge

The Exorcist: Martyrs - March 12, 2027

Cast & Director: Scarlett Johansson, Diane Lane, Jacobi Jupe, Chiwetel Ejifor, Laurence Fishburne, Sasha Calle, John Leguizamo, Rahul Kohli, Hamish Linklater, Carl Lumbly, John Gallagher Jr, Carla Gugino, Samanta Sloyan, Kate Siegel, Mike Flanagan (Writer/Director), Jason Blum (Producer)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s The Exorcist: Martyrs About? Mike Flanagan, who has been a notable name in modern horror in recent years with a number of TV shows and movies, is putting together a huge retelling of The Exorcist with a ton of big names. We don’t have details about his version, but the original novel is about the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl and the two priests who try to exorcise it out of her.

Why We’re Excited: This cast is actually insane, and Mike Flanagan has a great track record of adapting horror titles in pretty incredible ways.

Watch While Waiting: The Exorcist (1973), Doctor Sleep, The Haunting Of Hill House

Wolf Creek: Legacy - March 19. 2027

Cast & Director: John Jarratt, Stacy Clausen, Laura Gordon, Meg Fraser. Sean Lahiff (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Wolf Creek: Legacy About? The return of Mick Taylor sees a vacationing American family unwittingly crossing onto the serial killer’s property, and after the parents sacrifice themselves to give their kids a better shot at survival, it’s up to the younger generation to escape the outback.

Why We’re Excited: Wolf Creek may not be the horror franchise that immediately comes to mind when the topic comes up, but John Jarratt’s Taylor can go toe to disembodied toe with most cinematic killers by way of sheer brutality.

Watch While Waiting: The first two Wolf Creek movies and the TV show, obviously

The Revenge Of La Llorona - April 9, 2027

Cast & Director: Monica Raymund, Jay Hernandez, Raymond Cruz, Edy Ganem, Santiago Menghini (Director), James Wan (Producer), Gary Dauberman (Producer)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s The Revenge Of La Llorona About? Remember 2019’s The Curse of La Llorona? Well, James Wan is producing a sequel about the vengeful ghost from Hispanic American folklore for the Conjuring Universe.

Why We’re Excited: The first La Llorona may not have impressed critics, but that doesn’t mean the subject isn’t worth revisiting. There’s a lot of depth and chilling horrors to be explored behind the folklore story of a woman who drowned her own children after discovering her husband was unfaithful to her.

Watch While Waiting: The Curse of La Llorona, The Devil’s Backbone

Paranormal Activity 8 - May 21, 2027

Cast & Director: Ian Tuason (Writer/Director), Jason Blum (Producer), James Wan (Producer)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Paranormal Activity 8 About? Details about this Paranormal Activity haven't been revealed yet, but the long-running franchise is usually a supernatural found-footage horror movie.

Why We’re Excited: After Ian Tuason’s breakout with undertone, which critics have called “effectively spooky” and “designed to give you a panic attack,” it feels like the right filmmaker is behind the new Paranormal Activity.

Watch While Waiting: undertone, the other Paranormal Activity movies

A Quiet Place Part III - July 30, 2027

Cast & Director: John Krasinski (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s A Quiet Place Part III About? It’s too early to know many details about A Quiet Place Part III, but it’s expected to complete the trilogy about the Abbott family as they navigate a terrifying apocalypse together. In March, it was revealed that Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe will officially return, along with Sinners’ Jack O’Connell, Jason Clarke and Katy O’Brian joining the franchise, per Variety.

Why We’re Excited: Each of the Quiet Place movies have been really solid horror movies so far, that have us on the edge of our seat – especially for the use and lack of sound, and we look forward to what Krasinski is cooking up for the alleged finale.

Watch While Waiting: The other A Quiet Place movies

The Conjuring: First Communion - September 10, 2027

Cast & Director: Rodrigue Huart (Director), Ian Goldberg & Richard Naing (Writers)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s The Conjuring: First Communion About? This is a The Conjuring prequel about the early years of Ed and Lorraine Warren.

Why We’re Excited: While we’re going to miss Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga’s take on the paranormal investigators, it’ll be interesting to see a new era of their lives.

Watch While Waiting: the other Conjuring movies

Gremlins 3 - November 19, 2027

Cast & Director: Chris Columbus (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Gremlins 3 About? The plot details for Gremlins 3 haven't yet been revealed. The original movie is about a young man who receives a pet (called a Mogwai) who he names Gizmo, who comes with three rules: keep him away from bright light, do not let it come into contact with water, and never let it eat after midnight. When one of the rules is broken, Gizmo starts multiplying into destructive little guys, and Billy must try to stop them from destroying his town.

Why We’re Excited: Another Gremlins movie has long been talked about, and we can’t wait to see it finally come to pass. Plus, Steven Spielberg as a producer is always a good sign.

Watch While Waiting: The other Gremlins movies

Untitled Longlegs Spinoff - January 14, 2028

Cast & Director: Nicolas Cage, Osgood Perkins (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s The Longlegs Spinoff About? We don’t know much about this one yet, but per The Hollywood Reporter, this is not a sequel but rather something “set in the Longlegs universe”.

Why We’re Excited: Cage gave a very memorable performance as Satanic serial killer, Longlegs, and it definitely feels like the creepy character could be explored further.

Watch While Waiting: Longlegs

Evil Dead Wrath - April 7, 2028

Cast & Director: Charlotte Hope, Jessica McNamee, Zach Gilford, Josh Helman, Ella Newton, Sam Raimi (Producer), Francis Galluppi (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Evil Dead Wrath About? This is a prequel to the original Evil Dead movie that takes place in 1972 – predating anything we’ve seen from the franchise thus far. Its protagonist will be a French woman who’s stuck in an abusive marriage in America, per Deadline.

Why We’re Excited: Evil Dead is an interesting moment right now, and we’re curious about how this prequel will take things in different directions.

Watch While Waiting: The other Evil Dead movies, The Last Stop in Yuma County

Final Destination 7 - May 12, 2028

Cast & Director: Lori Evans Taylor (Writer), Michael Blanchart (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Final Destination 7 About? No plot details yet on this one, but it follows the franchise’s revival in 2025 with Final Destination: Bloodlines.

Why We’re Excited: There’s a nice mix of old blood and new blood in this sequel to keep the Final Destination sequel fresh.

Watch While Waiting: The other Final Destination movies, Bed Rest

Gladys - September 8, 2028

Cast & Director: Amy Madigan, Zach Cregger (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Gladys About? When Zach Cregger was initially making Weapons, he had a chapter for Gladys that he cut. Since the movie became a big hit, Cregger decided he’ll explore her character through her own spinoff movie. Warner Bros recently nailed down the release date for 2028, per Variety.

Why We’re Excited: Weapons was one of the best horror movies we’ve seen recently, and even led Amy Madigan to win an Oscar for the role. Since there wasn’t much about Glady’s origin story, and who she is, we’re so interested in what we’ll learn about her.

Watch While Waiting: Weapons, Barbarian

Upcoming Horror Movies Without A Release Date Set

Despite all the upcoming horrors that already have release dates, there are still plenty of impending projects that haven't yet locked one down. Here's a rundown of the high-profile frightfests that will hopefully get slotted onto the calendar soon.

• In Development
  • Alien: Romulus 2
  • American Psycho Remake
  • Blair Witch Reboot
  • Crawl 2
  • Happy Death Day 3
  • Hollow
  • I Am Legend 2
  • Lights Out 2
  • Ma 2
  • The Mist
  • Possession Remake
  • Scream 8
  • A24’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre Reboot
  • Terrifier 4
  • Thanksgiving 2
  • They Follow
  • World War Z Sequel
• Filming
  • Flesh of the Gods
• Post-Production
  • Anything But Ghosts
  • Brides
  • In A Violent Nature 2
  • Orphans
  • Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 3
• Awaiting Release Date
  • Drag
  • Lice
  • The Young People

So many horror movies to be excited for in 2026 and beyond! We’ll keep you in the loop on news and updates on these coming titles as the months go by.

Being a celebrity is a tricky thing. While you might get money and fame, being in the public eye can also be painful at times. Midsommar actress Florence Pugh recently felt this firsthand, as plenty of people sounded off online after she wore a see-through pink Valentino dress which revealed her nipples. And after the actress fended off haters online, Jessica Chastain is the latest celeb to defend Pugh over the now infamous dress.

Florence Pugh made headlines a few days ago after stepping out in a pink Valentino dress which #freedthenipple. Countless people have sounded off online, and a few celebrities have come to the Black Widow actress’ defense. First up as Bridgerton heartthrob Regé-Jean Page, and now Jessica Chastain has followed suit on her Instagram. She shared Pugh’s post on her IG story, with Chastain her own caption:

There you have it. The recent Oscar winner has spoken words to power, and put her support behind Florence Pugh. This comes as Pugh has been enduring a ton of hate online over the way she decided to rock that Valentino Dress. As a reminder, you can see Pugh in all of her glory below,

This bold look likely made more of a splash than Florence Pugh was expecting. Since then Pugh has seen it all online, as countless folks weighed on her appearance. She addressed the naysayers online, sharing photos of the look with a long caption about the backlash. One excerpt reads: 

Points were definitely made. Florence Pugh admits she knew that some people were going to talk when she freed the nipple in that Valentino dress, but she was still surprised by how much hate was thrown at her and her body. Still, Pugh’s words are powerful, and are definitely making the rounds online.

As previously mentioned, Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page was one of the celebs prior to Jessica Chastain that used their platform to publicly support Florence Pugh. He posted his own response, it says:

This isn’t the first time that the internet has weighed in on Florence Pugh’s personal life. There was previously a ton of discourse surrounding her relationship with Zach Braff, and the age difference between the two actors. So while Pugh’s career continues to soar with upcoming roles like Dune: Part Two, fame has a way of being a double edged sword.

Florence Pugh can next be seen opposite Harry Styles in Don’t Worry Darling, hitting theaters September 23rd. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

This year’s Academy Awards ceremony was quite “interesting” compared to others, and that’s not just because Zack Snyder’s Justice League nabbed “Oscars cheer moment.” The vibe of the evening took a turn when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage after the comedian made a joke in reference to his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. In the aftermath, a number of stars (both those who were present and those who were not) have weighed in on the situation. Jessica Chastain, who took home the Best Actress trophy that night has remained silent on the matter but has now shared some thoughts on what it was like to accept her award shortly after the slap. 

Jessica Chastain won an Oscar for her performance in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, for which she earned praise from critics. It was for that reason that she was arguably the frontrunner for the prestigious prize. Of course, Chastain couldn’t have predicted that she would land the gold statue, nor could she have known that she’d do so after such an unexpected incident like the slap. Chastain caught up with Porter, where she reflected on her big moment and discussed her speech. She also revealed that like so many others, she was also trying to process what had just gone down between Will Smith and Chris Rock: 

Many can probably understand why the star would feel that way when approaching the stage to accept the Oscar and give her speech. All things considered though, she seemed to handle the situation quite well. The actress, who’d been nominated for Academy Awards in past years, spoke eloquently while addressing her peers. She also ignited applause while making a passionate appeal in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

During that moment, the audience definitely seemed a bit more at ease than it had been earlier. Chris Rock was presenting the award for Best Documentary Feature when he joked that he was looking forward to seeing Jada Pinkett Smith in a G.I. Jane sequel, which was a reference to the star’s shaved head (a result of alopecia). After Will Smith slapped Rock, the comedian declined to press charges. In the week that followed, Smith apologized for the incident before he resigned from the Academy, which would later punish him with a 10-year ban. 

Stars haven’t minced words when discussing the star’s actions. Wanda Sykes, one of the co-hosts of this year’s Oscars, says that she was “traumatized” by the televised moment while also saying that she felt bad for Chris Rock. Jim Carrey, who was not at the ceremony, also took issue with how things went down. Carrey said he was “sickened” by the fact that the audience still proceeded to applaud the King Richard star when he accepted his Best Actor prize that night. He also said he would’ve sued the actor for $200 million had he been slapped. Though the I Am Legend lead has received support from a Fresh Prince co-star, while Denzel Washington (who took him aside after the slap) also opted not to chastise him.

The 2022 Academy Awards ceremony is sure to be talked about for years to come, mostly due to Will Smith’s actions. Hopefully, as time goes on though, people can further separate the slap from the honorees who managed to make cinema history that night. Jessica Chastain and so many more put in great work, and it would honestly be a shame if their awards were to be further overshadowed as time goes on. 

You can check out Jessica Chastain’s work in The Eyes of Tammy Faye by streaming the biopic with an HBO Max subscription.

When it comes to some of the biggest films of the last decade, one that always pops up in my mind is The Martian. The Academy Award nominated movie told the story of a lone astronaut who had to find a way to survive on Mars after mistakenly being left for dead by his team, and told a tale of perseverance and strength. 

But with a film that was so well-received and with many stars headlining it, one might be wondering where the cast of the feature adaptation of Andy Weir's popular novel might be today. Well look no further, as this is what The Martian cast has been up to, and what they have going on in the next couple of years. 

Matt Damon (Mark Watney)

First up on this list is Matt Damon, the star of The Martian, who plays Mark Watney. From his Academy Award-nominated role, Damon has gone on to star in several movies that you might recognize. He had a funny cameo role in Thor: Ragnorok, a role he's expected to reprise in the upcoming 2022 movie release, Thor: Love and Thunder. 

Besides that, he’s also had starring roles in films such as The Great Wall, Stillwater, and Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel. And he reprised his famous role as the titular character in Jason Bourne. Besides his upcoming appearance in Love and Thunder, Damon is also going to be appearing in the new Christopher Nolan film, Oppenheimer. 

Jessica Chastain (Commander Melissa Lewis)

Next up, we have another big-time star, Jessica Chastain. Since her role as Commander Melissa Lewis in The Martian, Chastain has appeared in a number of movies and been a part of television as well. 

In terms of films, she was in The Zookeeper’s Wife, It: Chapter Two, a part of The 355 cast, won an Academy Award for The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and more. She was also in the miniseries, Scenes From a Marriage, and in the TV series, George and Tammy. 

Coming up, she is going to be in several films, including The Good Nurse, Memory, The Division and Mother’s Instinct, so keep an eye out for this talented actress. 

Kristen Wiig (Annie Montrose)

Kristen Wiig portrayed Annie Montrose in The Martian. Known for her hilarious yet moving comedic roles Kristen Wiig has done plenty of movies since the film. She was in the 2016 version of Ghostbusters, closed off the How To Train Your Dragon trilogy, was one of the villains in Wonder Woman 1984, was in the comedic hit, Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar and more. 

She’s also appeared in TV shows as well, including a recurring voice role in the adult animated series, Big Mouth, voiced Jenny Hart in Bless the Harts, and was in MacGruber. Coming up, she’s going to continue her role in the Despicable Me franchise in the upcoming Despicable Me 4, and she'll also be appearing in Mrs. American Pie on Apple TV+.

Jeff Daniels (Theodore “Teddy” Sanders)

Now we have Jeff Daniels, who played Teddy Sanders in The Martian. Daniels has been in many TV shows since his appearance on The Martian. He did have a big role in the film Allegiant, but TV is where he really shined in recent years. 

Daniels had a part in the miniseries, Godless, The Looming Tower miniseries, and recently starred in the Showtime series American Rust. Coming up, he’s going to be appearing in a new Netflix limited series called A Man In Full. 

Michael Pena (Major Rick Martinez)

Michael Pena played Major Rick Martinez in The Martian, and has been quite active in his career. He had a voice role in The Lego Ninjago Movie, had a fun part in Ant-Man as well as its sequel, was in the latest rebooted version of A Wrinkle in Time, had a big role in Dora and the Lost City of Gold, and most recently was a part of the Moonfall cast.

He also had a huge role as Kiki Camarena in the TV series, Narcos: Mexico. Next up, he will be in the upcoming film, Secret Headquarters, as well as reprise his role as Luis in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. 

Sean Bean (Mitch Henderson)

Sean Bean played Mitch Henderson in The Martian. Bean has been very active in television, and has appeared in many shows. He appeared in Legends, Wasted, Broken, The Frankenstein Chronicles, The Oath, Medici, Curfew, World on Fire, Time, and most recently, Snowpiercer, all in main or recurring roles. Talk about a big-time actor.

He’s also appeared in films like The Young Messiah or Dark River, but television is where Bean really shined. Coming up soon, he’s going to be in another new BBC series called Marriage, as well as a new movie role in Knights of the Zodiac.

Kate Mara (Beth Johanssen)

Kate Mara played Beth Johansson in The Martian, and has grown her career even more since then. In terms of movies, she’s appeared in such hits like Captive, Morgan, The Senator, Ghostwriter and more, but television is also where she’s been able to show her talents. 

She had a voice role in Moonbeam City, played Zoe Barnes in the House of Cards cast, portrayed Patty Bowes in the Ryan Murphy drama, Pose, and starred in the miniseries, A Teacher. Soon, she’s going to be in a new TV miniseries for FX called Class of ‘09. 

Sebastian Stan (Dr. Chris Beck)

Sebastian Stan has only continued to grow in popularity since his role as Dr. Chris Beck in The Martian, appearing in many TV shows and movies. One of his biggest roles is playing Bucky Barnes, otherwise known as The Winter Soldier, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a role that he reprised for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast. 

Other than the MCU, Stan has been active in both movies and television. Some of his biggest roles were I, Tonya, where he received critical praise for his performance, Destroyer, The Devil All The Time, Monday, The 355, the Hulu original movie, Fresh and more. He’s also dived back into TV for a bit to play Tommy Lee as part of the Pam & Tommy cast on Hulu. Coming up, he's set to appear in the film Sharper. And in 2020 he was listed among the stars of the film The Brutalist, though we haven't seen updates on that project since. 

Aksel Hennie (Dr. Alex Vogel)

Next up, we have Aksel Hennie, who played Dr. Alex Vogul in The Martian. He’s appeared in films such as The Congo Murders, The Cloverfield Paradox, The Doorman, The Middle Man and more. He’s also had roles in TV shows such as White Wall and Nobel. 

In the next couple of years, he will be in a new film called Immortal. According to Deadline, the film began production in September 2021. 

Mackenzie Davis (Mindy Park)

Mackenzie Davis played Mindy Park in The Martian, and she’s appeared in films such as Blade Runner 2049, Freaks of Nature, Tully, Terminator: Dark Fate, the 2020 Christmas film, Happiest Season and more. She’s also had roles in TV shows like Halt and Catch Fire, as well as the miniseries Station Eleven. She even played Yorkie in the famous Black Mirror episode, “San Junipero."

In 2020, Variety included her among the cast of an upcoming film called Alpha Gang. 

Benedict Wong (Bruce Ng)

Benedict Wong's star has continued to rise over the last several years since The Martian released and he played Bruce Ng. His biggest role thus far has been playing Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most recently as part of the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cast, but Wong has done plenty of other TV shows and movies too. 

Some of his highlights include a big role in the film Nine Days, a role in the Raya and the Last Dragon cast, a starring role in the TV series, Deadly Class, a voice role in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and more alongside his many appearances in Marvel. Coming up, he’s going to be in the new Disney+ Marvel show, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and in a Netflix TV series called The Three-Body Problem.

Donald Glover (Rich Purnell)

Donald Glover played Rich Purnell in The Martian. Besides his accomplished music career as Childish Gambino, Donald Glover has appeared in many movies, including Solo: A Star Wars Story, Guava Island, The Lion King, and more. 

He’s also been the creator and star of his own FX series, Atlanta, which as of writing this, just wrapped up its third season. Soon, he’s going to be starring in a TV series called Mr. & Mrs. Smith based on the movie of the same name. 

Chen Shu (Zhu Tao)

Chen Shu portrayed Zhu Tao in The Martian, and since then has appeared in a variety of TV shows and movies. These include, but aren’t limited, to the movie Fell in Love Like a Star, the miniseries A Love for Separation, the TV series, Peace Hotel, the TV series Behind the Scenes, the film Cloud Mountain and more.

Eddy Ko (Guo Ming)

Eddy Ko played Guo Ming in The Martian, and has appeared in a couple of films, including Beyond Redemption, The God of Wealth, and The Thousand Faces of Dunjia. 

Chiwetel Ejiofor (Vincent Kapoor)

Last but not least, we have Chiwetel Ejiofor, who has also continued to make a name for himself since his role as Vincent Kapoor in The Martian. Since the film, he appeared in Triple 9, Mary Magdalene, The Lion King, The Old Guard, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, and portrayed Baron Mordo in both Doctor Strange and its sequel. 

He also had a role in the TV series, The Man Who Fell to Earth. Among his upcoming projects are The Pod Generation, The Old Guard 2, and Rob Peace (the latter which he's expected to direct, per a report from Variety in 2020.) 

With so many stars, it’s hard to sometimes keep track of all the amazing stuff that they’re doing, but it's clear everyone's been busy with interesting movies and TV shows since the sci-fi film released in 2015. 

In an event that many would consider to be a long time coming, Jessica Chastain won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 94th Annual Academy Awards. Her performance in 2021’s The Eyes of Tammy Faye earned her the nomination, which was also her third, having previously been nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2012 for The Help, and for her leading role in Zero Dark Thirty the following year.

However, the California native - who is also known for superhero movies like X-Men: Dark Phoenix, horror movies like It: Chapter Two, and action thrillers like The 355 - has given plenty of other performances that critics and audiences alike would agree deserved similar accolades. Let’s revisit these performance by checking out Jessica Chastain’s best movies available now on streaming, for digital rental, or on physical media, starting with her best work in the eyes of the Academy.

The Eyes Of Tammy Faye (HBO Max)

Tammy Bakker (Jessica Chastain) and her husband, Jim (Andrew Garfield), build one of the largest empires in the history televangelism, until a series of shocking scandals are revealed, threatening to destroy their relationship and their reputation.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: Jessica Chastain disappears into the role of the titular televangelist in The Eyes of Tammy Faye - a bold, revealing biopic from The Big Sick director, Michael Showalter, that is based on a 2000 documentary of the same name.

Stream The Eyes Of Tammy Faye on HBO Max.
Buy/Rent The Eyes Of Tammy Faye on Amazon.
Get The Eyes Of Tammy Faye on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

The Help (HBO Max)

A young, aspiring author (Emma Stone) interviews Black maids (Oscar winners Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer) for a book about their perspective on the White women who employ them in 1960s Mississippi.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: Jessica Chastain received her first Academy Award nomination for playing good-hearted, ostracized socialite Celia Foote in The Help - writer and director Tate Taylor’s 2011 adaptation of the novel by Kathryn Stockett.

Stream The Help on HBO Max.
Buy/Rent The Help on Amazon.
Get The Help on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Zero Dark Thirty (Amazon Rental)

A CIA operative (Jessica Chastain) struggles to endure the moral inner conflict and emotional turmoil of carrying out heinous interrogation methods while spending several years searching for the whereabouts of wanted terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: Jessica Chastain received her second Academy Award nomination for her mesmerizing performance as the lead of Zero Dark Thirty - originally intended as a chronicle of the failed attempts to catch the orchestrator of the attack on September 11, 2001, before his capture ten years later - from Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow.

Buy/Rent Zero Dark Thirty on Amazon.
Get Zero Dark Thirty on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Take Shelter (Tubi)

A construction worker (Michael Shannon) begins to question the safety of his family and his own sanity after he begins to experience a series of strange, foreboding visions of an oncoming apocalyptic event.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: If you ask me, Jessica Chastain should have received an Academy Award nomination, as well as Michael Shannon, for their riveting portrayals of a husband and wife threatened by the dwindling mental health of one in Take Shelter - a masterful, heart-stopping family drama from writer and director Jeff Nichols.

Stream Take Shelter on Tubi.
Buy/Rent Take Shelter on Amazon.
Get Take Shelter on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Jolene (Tubi, Pluto TV)

A young, orphaned woman (Jessica Chastain) sets off on her own at age 15 and spends the next several years traveling the country in search of some sort of normalcy, finding heartbreak and disappointment at every turn.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: In 2008, after various appearances in TV shows such as ER, Jessica Chastain made her theatrically released, feature film debut as the title role of Jolene - director Dan Ireland’s harrowing adaptation of the story by award-winning author E.L. Doctorow.

Stream Jolene on Tubi.
Stream Jolene on Pluto TV.
Buy/Rent Jolene on Amazon.
Get Jolene on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

The Tree Of Life (Hulu)

A disillusioned, modern day man (two-time Academy Award winner Sean Penn) struggles with questions of existence, purpose, and faith as he recalls his complicated relationship with his father (Oscar winner Brad Pitt) while growing in Waco, Texas, in the 1950s.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: The one film that Jessica Chastain has said had the most profound impact on her life and career and is most difficult to re-watch for how accurately it captures her “heart and soul” is 2011’s The Tree of Life - a bizarre, inventive, and thought-provoking existential analysis that only writer and director Terrence Malick could make.

Stream The Tree Of Life on Hulu.
Buy/Rent The Tree Of Life on Amazon.
Get The Tree Of Life on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Lawless (Rental)

Three brothers (Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, and Jason Clarke) fight to keep a moonshine business afloat in the midst of unwanted offers of partnership and the arrival of a corrupt police officer (Guy Pearce) in Depression era Virginia.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: Jessica Chastain steals the show as Maggie Beaufort, a waitress who falls in love with Hardy’s Forrest Bondurant, in Lawless - writer Nick Cave (yes, the musician) and director John Hilcoat’s 2012 adaptation of Matt Bondurant’s historical novel about his own family, The Wettest County in the World.

Buy/Rent Lawless on Amazon.
Get Lawless on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Interstellar (Paramount+)

A former science engineer and pilot (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey) leads a team of explorers on an expedition through the unknown reaches of outer space in order to find a new home for mankind as the Earth rapidly grows unlivable.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: Jessica Chastain is one of the three brilliant actresses from 2014’s Interstellar cast who play the role of McConaughey’s estranged, earthbound daughter, Murph, over the course of several decades, in co-writer and director Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning, visually stunning, mind-bending space odyssey.

Stream Interstellar on Paramount+.
Buy/Rent Interstellar on Amazon.
Get Interstellar on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

The Martian (Amazon Rental)

In the wake of a deadly storm, the botany expert (Matt Damon) of a space exploration mission is assumed dead and abandoned by his crew on Mars, where he struggles to survive as NASA struggles to figure out a way to bring him home.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: While Jessica Chastain did not get to be the one to go into space or rescue Matt Damon in Interstellar, she got to do both the following year as the disco-loving Ares III commander, Melissa Lewis, in The Martian - one of the sharpest, most intense, funniest, and simply best space movies from director Ridley Scott which is based on Andy Weir’s acclaimed novel.

Buy/Rent The Martian on Amazon.
Get The Martian on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Crimson Peak (Netflix)

A young writer (Mia Wasikowska) falls for a wealthy, English aristocrat (Tom Hiddleston) who invites her to live with him and his sister (Jessica Chastain) at their lavish family estate, unwitting to the shocking secrets and vengeful spirits that lurk within the walls.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: Guillermo del Toro, who previously produced the Jessica Chastain-led horror film, Mama, in 2012, directs the actress in a sinister (and, apparently, emotionally draining) performance as Lady Lucille Sharpe in 2015’s Crimson Peak - a chilling ghost story in the style of traditional, gothic costume dramas with stunning production design.

Stream Crimson Peak on Netflix.
Buy/Rent Crimson Peak on Amazon.
Get Crimson Peak on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

A Most Violent Year (Showtime)

An immigrant (Oscar Isaac) and his wife (Jessica Chastain) aspire to achieve the American dream by capitalizing on the crime and corruption surrounding them, which also threatens to destroy them, in 1981 New York City.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: Before they both starred in X-Men movies and eventually reunited for HBO’s Scenes from a Marriage, Jessica Chastain gave an electrifying, femme fatale-inspired performance opposite her longtime friend Oscar Isaac as her onscreen husband in 2015's A Most Violent Year - a captivatingly dark period piece partially inspired by true events from writer and director J.C. Chandor.

Stream A Most Violent Year on Showtime.
Buy/Rent A Most Violent Year on Amazon.
Get A Most Violent Year on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

The Zookeeper’s Wife (Netflix)

A woman (Jessica Chastain) and her husband (Johan Heldenbergh) use their zoo in Warsaw, Poland, as a sanctuary for hundreds of Jewish refugees - and animals, too - in the wake of the Nazi invasion in 1939.

Why it’s one of the best Jessica Chastain movies: Jessica Chastain is a tour de force as one of the boldest and most heroic figures of World War II-era Europe, Antonina Zabinska, in The Zookeeper’s Wife - an inspiring 2017 drama based on the book by Diane Ackerman from acclaimed director Niki Caro. 

Stream The Zookeeper’s Wife on Netflix.
Buy/Rent The Zookeeper’s Wife on Amazon.
Get The Zookeeper’s Wife on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Jessica Chastain will soon play another famous “Tammy” in George and Tammy - a Paramount+ original miniseries profiling the romance between country music star Tammy Wynette and George Jones, which will reunite her with Take Shelter’s Michael Shannon. She also will also star in the upcoming Netflix exclusive true crime story, The Good Nurse.

2021 wasn't quite the "back to normal" year at the movies that we were all hoping it would be, but it was certainly a step in the right direction. If nothing else, most of the 2022 Oscar nominees were at the very least released in actual movie theaters. And 2021 was a solid year for movies with strong contenders expected to do well tonight including The Power of the Dog, West Side Story and Dune.

While this year's Academy Awards broadcast will be dealing with some degree of controversy following the decision to not give out all the Oscars live, it should nonetheless be an interesting show. Follow along with us live as we update the list below as the awards are given out.

Best Picture

• Belfast
• CODA
• Don't Look Up
• Drive My Car
• Dune
• King Richard
• Licorice Pizza
• Nightmare Alley
• The Power of the Dog
• West Side Story

Best Directing

• Belfast, Kenneth Branagh
• Drive My Car, Ryusuke Hamaguchi
• Licorice Pizza, Paul Thomas Anderson
• The Power of the Dog, Jane Campion
• West Side Story, Steven Spielberg

Best Actress In A Leading Role

• Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
• Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter
• Penélope Cruz, Parallel Mothers
• Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos
• Kristen Stewart, Spencer

Best Actor In A Leading Role

• Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos
• Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
• Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick... BOOM!
• Will Smith, King Richard
• Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Actress In A Supporting Role

• Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter
• Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
• Judi Dench, Belfast
• Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog
• Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard

Best Actor In A Supporting Role

• Ciarán Hinds, Belfast
• Troy Kotsur, CODA
• Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog
• J.K Simmons, Being the Ricardos
• Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

Best Writing (Original Screenplay)

• Belfast
• Don't Look Up
• King Richard
• Licorice Pizza
• The Worst Person in the World

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• CODA
• Drive My Car
• Dune
• The Lost Daughter
• The Power of the Dog

Best Animated Feature Film

• Encanto
• Flee
• Luca
• The Mitchells vs. The Machines
• Raya and the Last Dragon

Best International Feature Film

• Drive My Car, Japan
• Flee, Denmark
• The Hand of God, Italy
• Lunana: A Yakin the Classroom, Bhutan
• The Worst Person in the World, Norway

Best Documentary (Feature)

• Ascension
• Attica
• Flee
• Summer of Soul(...Or When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
• Writing With Fire

Best Production Design

• Dune
• Nightmare Alley
• The Power of the Dog
• The Tragedy of Macbeth
• West Side Story

Best Cinematography

• Dune
• Nightmare Alley
• The Power of the Dog
• The Tragedy of Macbeth
• West Side Story

Best Costume Design

• Cruella
• Cyrano
• Dune
• Nightmare Alley
• West Side Story

Best Film Editing

• Don't Look Up
• Dune
• King Richard
• The Power of the Dog
• Tick, Tick...BOOM!

Best Makeup And Hairstyling

• Coming 2 America
• Cruella
• Dune
• The Eyes of Tammy Faye
• House of Gucci

Best Music (Original Score)

• Don't Look Up
• Dune
• Encanto
• Parallel Mothers
• The Power of the Dog

Best Music (Original Song)

• "Be Alive," King Richard
• "Dos Oruguitas," Encanto
• "Down To Joy," Belfast
• "No Time to Die," No Time to Die
• "Somehow You Do," Four Good Days 

Best Sound

• Belfast
• Dune
• No Time to Die
• The Power of the Dog
• West Side Story

Best Visual Effects

• Dune
• Free Guy
• No Time To Die
• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
• Spider-Man: No Way Home

Best Short Film (Animated)

• Affairs of the Heart
• Bestia
• Boxballet
• Robin Robin
• The Windshield Wiper

Best Documentary (Short Subject)

• Audible
• Lead Me Home
• The Queen of Basketball
• Three Songs For Benazir
• When We Were Bullies

Best Short Film (Live Action)

• Ala Kachuu - Take And Run
• The Dress
• The Long Goodbye
• On My Mind
• Please Hold

Did your favorite film of 2021 take home an Oscar?

While Andrew Garfield caught a lot of attention late last year for reprising his version of Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home (after months of denying he was doing so), 2021 also saw him acting opposite Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Garfield played the Jim Bakker to Chastain’s title character, and half a month following the movie’s release, the actress has thrown some praise her co-star’s way via some behind-the-scenes photos of them together.

Jessica Chastain showered Andrew Garfield with kind words in an Instagram post sharing some pictures of the two of them reunite at a public event. Take a look below!

Jessica Chastain is a talented actress with a Golden Globe win and many other accolades under her belt, but as she acknowledged in her post’s caption, who an actor is performing opposite of plays a big role in how their own performance turns out. Luckily for Chastain, she was impressed with what Andrew Garfield brought to the proverbial table for The Eyes of Tammy Faye, which in turn benefitted her outing as Tammy Faye Bakker. She clearly had a good time working with Garfield, so don’t be surprised if these two star in a movie again someday.

Directed by The Big Sick’s Michael Showalter and written by Dead to Me’s Abe Sylvia, The Eyes of Tammy Faye chronicled the rise and fall of Tammy Faye’s televangelism career and her marriage to Jim Bakker. The biographical drama also starred Cherry Jones and Vincent D’Onofrio (among others), and was met with mixed critical reception, with CinemaBlend’s own Mike Reyes giving it 2 out of 5 stars in his review. However, it’s also received plenty of accolades over the last several months, including being recognized in the Best Actress and Best Makeup and Hairstyling categories among the 2022 Academy Award nominations, which will air on March 27. If you missed out on seeing The Eyes of Tammy Faye in theaters, it’s available to watch online if you have an HBO Max subscription.

Besides The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Jessica Chastain recently starred alongside Penélope Cruz Lupita Nyong’o, Fan Bingbing, Diane Kruger and Sebastian Stan in the spy movie The 355,  while Andrew Garfield played the late Jonathan Larson in the Netflix musical drama Tick, Tick… Boom!, for which he’s scored a Best Actor Oscar nomination. As far as what the future holds in store for these two, Chastain can be seen later this year in the Paramount+ miniseries George & Tammy and the Netflix movie The Good Nurse, and Garfield is leading the Hulu miniseries Under the Banner of Heaven, which drops sometime this spring.

CinemaBlend will continue to pass along any big updates concerning Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield’s careers, including they are indeed paired together again. For now, there are plenty of 2022 movie releases to spice up your cinematic taste buds.

With Oscar nominations right around the corner, CinemaBlend is taking a look at which films and performances are likely to be in contention for nominations. Let’s look at a the Lead Actress race. 

Locked In

The Academy can’t resist lead performances from biopics, which is more apparent than ever with this year’s Best Actress hopefuls. Nicole Kidman is looking strong for her portrayal of Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos, especially after her Golden Globe win. Though this is the only win she has so far, her film has been performing well at guild awards like SAG, WGA, and PGA. This year’s Actress lineup doesn’t have a lot of candidates from Best Picture contenders, so love for the film overall could take Kidman far. 

Lady Gaga hasn’t lost an ounce of steam for her turn in the highest grossing drama of the year, House of Gucci. It seems the industry is more than ready to embrace Lady Gaga as an actress for the second time. Yet another biopic performance comes from Jessica Chastain, who plays Tammy Faye Bakker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Though her film struggled at the box office and received mixed reviews, the performance is easily one of the strongest in her career. She’s caked in makeup, she cries, she sings… it’s a high wire act that will be hard to pass up on.

Olivia Colman may be the only nominee who isn’t playing a real person for The Lost Daughter. The actress has quickly become an Academy darling, as this will likely be her third nomination in four years. Colman, Chastain, Gaga, and Kidman have been nominated at SAG, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice, which makes them about as secure for a nomination as one can be. 

Likely Bets

Just a month ago, Kristen Stewart was thought to be a frontrunner for the Oscar for her transformative performance as Princess Diana in the critically acclaimed Spencer. But then… SAG happened. Stewart was brutally snubbed, nearly destroying her chance at a win, and putting the prospect of a nomination in jeopardy. The snub seemed to confirm fears that Spencer wasn’t clicking with audiences, due to Pablo Larrain’s daring approach to what could have been another standard biopic. At worst, it says that the industry still doesn’t view Kristen Stewart as a serious actress. Still, the Academy is more likely to nominate performances from independent films than SAG, and her dozens of wins and nominations from critics groups and bodies like the Golden Globes should be enough to keep her safe. Though I can’t say I’m not worried. 

Dark Horses

Jennifer Hudson is a strong candidate for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in Respect. She beat Stewart to the SAG nomination after all, but hasn’t received much recognition elsewhere. Mixed reception for her film, as well as its early release date, definitely makes her vulnerable in the way Taron Egerton was for Rocketman.  

Alana Haim is attached to a strong Best Picture contender with Licorice Pizza, and has received heaps of support from critics groups. It’s possible she sneaks her way into the lineup. This is her first appearance on the big screen, however, and she may struggle to compete with so many heavyweight biopic performances.

Rachel Zegler is in a similar situation to Alana Haim: she’s a newcomer attached to a Best Picture heavyweight (West Side Story). She hasn’t received the same level of recognition from critics groups as Haim, but she does have a Golden Globe win, so we can’t count her out. 

Penélope Cruz in Parallel Mothers has surprisingly gone unnoticed this awards season. Though a surprise seems possible, a red flag to me is her absence from the BAFTA longlist, where she couldn’t make it into a lineup of 15. Another non-English language performance that could surprise is Renate Reinsve for The Worst Person in the World. Odds are slim, but if the film has an unusually good day it’s not out of the question.

Check back here at CinemaBlend for more category breakdowns including Lead Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, Original Screenplay and Adapted Screenplay.

Warning: deep SPOILERS for The 355 are in play. If you want to remain unspoiled, head to the nearest safe house of twist-free coverage on CinemaBlend. 

The world was recently introduced to the world of female-driven espionage depicted in the Jessica Chastain-led ensemble The 355. A new team of agents looking to form their own potential franchise, Ms. Chastain is joined by the likes of Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong'o, Penélope Cruz, and Fan Bingbing in a mission to save the world from technological danger. The only problem is, if you’re an aficionado of spy movies like I am, you’re going to notice that this movie is basically a remake of the first Mission: Impossible movie, and that’s not a compliment. 

While a lot of espionage thrillers seem to borrow from Brian De Palma and Tom Cruise’s 1996 blockbuster (and yes, James Bond is guilty of that charge as well), no other movie has seemed like a wholesale retelling of that story. That is, until The 355 took several key beats and wove them together in a movie that fails to capture the magic of Paramount’s still-going franchise. Follow along as I rattle off five plot points that make this movie an unofficial Mission: Impossible remake. 

The Drive/Disk Is In The Open!

Right out of the gate, The 355 set up its major conflict as something extremely similar to Mission: Impossible’s NOC List, and you could even see it in the trailers. While Ethan Hunt was accused of trying to sell the list of deep cover operatives and their identities, Simon Kinberg’s caper goes a little wider with its threat. But we’re still dealing with a drive out in the open after a covert op tries to bust shadowy buyer Elijah Clarke (Jason Flemyng).

Were we merely dealing with a computer drive that has a lot of information/digital skeleton keys going out into the open, that wouldn’t be a sin. Again, Skyfall opens with a similar device that hews even closer to the NOC List. Diving deeper into the structure of this story, the laundry list of borrowed influences starts to add up, especially with one twist that happens to be revealed in the middle of the film. 

A “Dead” Team Member/Superior Comes Back As A Baddie

What’s an agent to do when they lose their teammates and/or their superior in the middle of a mission? Well, if you’re The 355’s Mason Browne (Jessica Chastain), you’re eventually framed for murdering your teammate and your superior! The trouble is, in the case of fellow CIA agent Nick Fowler (Sebastian Stan), he’s not dead; he’s just playing for the other team. On top of that, Mason’s actually-dead boss Larry Marks (John Douglas Thompson) is actually a turncoat too.

If you were to take Mission: Impossible’s gigantic twist where Jim Phelps (Jon Voight) is revealed to be very much alive, and an IMF traitor, that only covers half of what’s been repurposed here. In fact, this story looks like it doubles down on the mole angle harder than the first few seasons of 24, which is absolutely saying something. Don’t worry, much like Mr. Phelps, Mr. Fowler gets his; but only after being promoted in the CIA. 

Personal Ties Are Used As The Ultimate Liability

During the successful framing of Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible, former IMF director/returning character Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny) finds a pressure point and squeezes. That weakness happens to be Ethan’s mother, Margaret, and his uncle Donald; who are soon plagued by manufactured charges that make their lives a living hell. Hanging this threat over Agent Hunt’s head is a minor, but pivotal point in the story of the first Mission film, and you’re going to remember it fondly when you see The 355. 

DNI agent Graciela Rivera (Penélope Cruz) reminds us that family is the ultimate liability, as the movie hammers home the fact that whether she continues playing her part in this mission or not, her family is at risk either way. A similar note his struck with Lupita Nyong’o’s Khadijah Adiyeme leaving a boyfriend at home that you’re constantly expecting to be black bagged and held for ransom. But if we’re truly being honest, it’s Graciela’s constant family crisis that brings up the memory of the Hunt family farm almost going into receivership. Though by time Nick Fowler makes his big move, every one of those parties, and more, are in fact abducted to be used as leverage. 

The Old “Camera In The Glasses” Trick

Here it is, folks: the coup de grace when it comes to The 355’s thefts from the Mission: Impossible playbook. As if parceling out Ethan Hunt’s burdens throughout several members of the team wasn’t enough, they even take his trademark eyewear. MSS agent Lin Mi Sheng (Fan Bingbing) is almost always seen sporting a very stylish pair of glasses, and surprise surprise, they have a camera implanted in them! Which is perfect, because Agent Sheng uses them to show the rest of her team where Nick Fowler’s evil secret lair is. 

The Mission: Impossible version of this trick saw Ethan and his IMF team coordinating their mission, with Jim Phelps even fabricating his own death through some clever camera tricks. He’s ultimately incriminated because Ethan keeps his pair handy and gives Eugene Kittridge the watch that receives the image, broadcasting his evil team leader’s supposed resurrection. It’s not clearly stated, but by time The 355’s Nick is drugged and ready to be apprehended, it can be presumed that evidence was gathered from the stream from those glasses. 

It wouldn’t surprise me at all that there are a couple more Mission: Impossible plot points used throughout the rest of The 355. Borrowing from one of the best spy franchises certainly isn’t a crime provided you do something interesting with it. In the case of co-writer/director Simon Kinberg’s film, the sum fails to justify the integration of the parts, leaving a fan like myself very upset. Judge for yourself though, as if you’ve read through this rundown and still haven’t seen the movie for yourself, The 355 is currently in theaters and waiting for you to debrief. 

When Simon Kinberg’s The 355 opens in theaters this week, it will be the first time in a long time that audiences are seeing an ensemble spy thriller, as that genre usually is dominated by solo agents such as James Bond or Jason Bourne. The movie’s also notable because of it’s high-profile and all-female cast, constructed for a premise conceived by Jessica Chastain and boasting ladies who usually find themselves in the Oscar race, not the arms race. 

It’s exciting that The 355 could end up being the gateway-drug movie into the action genre for teenage girls, who normally look at action offerings and see Chris Hemsworth (Extraction), Chris Pratt (The Tomorrow War), or Liam Neeson staring back at them. Not quite role models to which women can relate. So when I sat down with The 355 cast, I asked them which action stars were the ones they saw growing up who made them think, “I’d like to do that one day.” And Jessica Chastain told me the action icon she pretended to be as a young girl, explaining:

So badass. This is why Jessica Chastain has been able to hold down gritty war films like Zero Dark Thirty, or kick a ton of tail in The 355. She has been training for this assignment since her earliest days on the playground, mastering pull ups and mimicking Linda Hamilton’s iconic T2 character. To be fair, as you can see in the video above, Chastain’s gut reaction to the question took her in a different direction, which is also acceptable. She told me:

There is an awful lot of that on display in The 355, an action thriller starring Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, Diane Kruger, and Fan Bingbing play international agents forced to work together to retrieve a piece of groundbreaking tech, while also keeping the non-lethal Penelope Cruz alive. It could be the start of a franchise, which easily mixes in a slew of other actresses, and possibly compete with the Gunpowder Milkshakes of the world.

Look for The 355 in theaters this weekend. And bookmark our 2022 Upcoming Movie Calendar to see what else is coming to theaters in the next few weeks and months.

There’s a popular phrase some of us use when discussing an extremely talented actor. We’ll say, “I’d watch that person read the phone book.” It assumes that no matter how bland, flavorless, or predictable the material this gifted performer is handed, they’ll find a way to make it sing – to vibrate off of the screen and make the movie or TV program with which they are involved be, at the very least, watchable. 

I’m going to have to rethink that statement. Under normal circumstances, I absolutely would apply that sentiment to Jessica Chastain, Penelope Cruz, Lupita Nyong’o and, to a lesser extent, Sebastian Stan. They’re all actors I gladly would have handed a phone book before eagerly anticipated their interpretation. But they couldn’t save Simon Kinberg's The 355 from being a rote, paint-by-numbers spy thriller, and if they couldn’t salvage this movie, who on this planet could? 

There’s too much talent in The 355 for it to be this generic.

There are two factors helping The 355 stand out from its spy thriller counterparts. To begin with, it utilizes an ensemble of international agents working together to complete a mission that has vexed each of them individually. The spy genre tends to be populated with solo acts, whether it be James Bond or Jason Bourne. It also, in the past, has largely been male-dominated – though standout features like Atomic Blonde, The Old Guard and Gunpowder Milkshake are doing their part in recent years to start balancing the scales and showcase more kick-ass women. 

As was the case with Atomic Blonde and Gunpowder Milkshake, the women cast as The 355’s leads are extraordinarily gifted and versatile actors who have held down outstanding dramas, comic-book action thrillers, and international crowd-pleasers. But their combined skills can’t elevate a razor-thin script that offers more cliches than surprises.

Naturally, there is a device (there’s always a device) that the villains want, and the spies need to retrieve it. This one can launch World War III, or some such silliness, but the threat is vague, and there isn’t even a juicy bad guy for audiences to invest in. The women of The 355 merely mow down faceless adversaries without breaking much of a sweat, dancing through tired action sequences you’ve seen before far too many times. 

Simon Kinberg’s a better producer than he is a director.

You might not know Simon Kinberg by name, but you definitely have seen movies he has either written or produced. One of his earliest screenwriting credits was the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie vehicle Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and he was the producing muscle behind Logan, and Deadpool (the best X-Men movies), and Ridley Scott’s The Martian. He’s an excellent producer, but an average director. His adequate X-Men: Dark Phoenix got a pass due to perceived behind-the-scenes strife associated with Disney purchasing Fox, and not wanting to extend the X-Men franchise in any form. But The 355 furthers the notion that Kinberg’s approach to action and his sense of pacing isn’t going to ruin a film, but it’s also not going to upgrade it. 

That’s the unfortunate truth about The 355. It’s not awful, but it deserved to be better. The potential of these women teaming up, sharing scenes, trading war stories, and taking down bad guys should be enough to get people in the door, but The 355 doesn’t offer its audience anything extraordinary, or even theater-worthy. Features like this are readily available on both streamers like Netflix and B-grade cable networks. 

Here’s the main lesson learned after watching The 355: Invite as many A-listers to your party as you can – but make sure they have something more substantial to eat than American cheese sandwiches served on Wonder bread with extra mayonnaise. 

“The 355” stars Sebastian Stan, Jessica Chastain and Diane Kruger discuss their action movie influences, fighting in a dress, their admiration for stunt performers and much, much more in this interview with CinemaBlend’s managing director, Sean O’Connell.

Video Chapters

0:00 - Intro./Sebastian Stan admires posters for his own movies.
0:23 - Jessica Chastain on the female action star(s) that inspired her.
1:26 -  Diane Kruger on the female action star(s) that inspired her.
1:56 - Sebastian Stan on his experience in action films.
2:41 - Jessica Chastain on how her character from “Zero Dark Thirty” inspired “The 355.”
3:35 - How Ralph Lauren designed Jessica Chastain’s battle-ready clothing in “The 355.”
4:15 - Sebastian Stan on doing his own stunts, and whether or not the Oscars should have a stunt category.
6:00 - What made Diane Kruger want to step out of her element for an action film.
7:00 - Jessica Chastain on how the actors bonded on set.
7:40 - Who Jessica Chastain would recruit for “The 355’s” sequel.

Celebrity profiles are often divisive. In addition to revealing hidden details about stars’ personalities and lives, they can create controversy and a lot of online chatter. That was the case with a recent profile on Succession’s Jeremy Strong. The story in The New Yorker provided an entertaining if not somewhat troubling look at the actor’s eccentric approach to getting into character. While fans online debated over whether the profile treated Strong fairly, two of his most famous colleagues, Jessica Chastain and Aaron Sorkin, weighed in. 

Usually, Jessica Chastain uses her social media to show off her meme game or give a wink and a nod to her own viral moments. However, after Michal Schulman’s profile of Jeremy Strong hit the internet earlier this week, she was using Twitter for a much different reason -- to defend her former co-star against what she felt was an unfair portrayal: 

Jessica Chastain returned to the platform a few days later to share a letter on the behalf of Aaron Sorkin. While the Academy Award-winning screenwriter and director doesn’t use social media, he still felt compelled to speak up about the story: 

The filmmaker's letter is mostly a transcript of his conversation with The New Yorker writer, but also indirectly refutes some of the points made in the profile. Schulman used quotes from the Social Network scribe to illustrate a picture he painted of Jeremy Strong’s seemingly disruptive on-set behavior. That included anecdotes about the actor requesting to be sprayed with real tear gas and putting a fart machine under his Trial of the Chicago 7 co-star Frank Langella's chair. But the director's transcript offers a more nuanced picture of his insights into Strong’s approach to acting and what it is like to work with him:

By the end of his letter, it’s clear that his opinion of the actor is much better than some may have assumed when reading the New Yorker story. He drove this point home by saying:

Michael Schulman hasn’t responded to either Jessica Chastain or Aaron Sorkin’s critiques of his profile of Jeremy Strong. But in a recent tweet, he did indirectly acknowledge the fervor his most recent piece has caused – and thanked everyone for reading. 

2021 was probably the worst year in the Golden Globes’ 77 year history. They were rightfully called out earlier this year for a total lack of Black members, as well as other unethical practices, resulting in NBC refusing to air their ceremony for 2022. 

The HFPA is currently in the process of making reforms to their organization, and has recruited 21 new members this year (their total prior was about 86). It was uncertain if the HFPA would even announce nominees and winners for the films of 2021, but on October 15th they confirmed they would hold a ceremony in some capacity, with nominations to be announced December 13th at 6 A.M. PST. 

A consequence of the chaos this year for prognosticators is that we don’t actually have confirmation on what films will be campaigned in comedy or musical, making predicting films like CODA much more difficult. So in my predictions below I’m also predicting category placements.

Motion Picture Drama

If Belfast, Dune, King Richard, and The Power of the Dog don’t all show up here, I’d be shocked. In my mind that leaves open one slot for a wildcard to sneak in. Part of the challenge predicting this year is that we don’t know which films will be slotted in comedy or drama. If CODA is in drama, I think it has a shot here. Despite underwhelming reviews, we shouldn’t underestimate Nightmare Alley or Being the Ricardos either. Spencer and The Tragedy of Macbeth could certainly contend, as could either of Ridley Scott’s films: House of Gucci and The Last Duel. Right now I’m hesitantly predicting CODA, but I expect to be swapping out this slot up until nomination morning.

Drama Actor

Will Smith (King Richard), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog), and Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth) are near-locks in this category. The remaining two slots are tricky, as much of the competition they’ll face at the Oscars is on the comedy/musical side. Joaquin Phoenix has a shot for his understated performance in C’mon C’mon (assuming that’s in drama), and though it's a long shot, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nicolas Cage sneak in for Pig. For now, I’m predicting Javier Bardem for his portrayal of Desi Arnaz in Being the Ricardos, and Bradley Cooper for Nightmare Alley.

Drama Actress

Don’t bet against these four: Kristen Stewart (Spencer), Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye), Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos) and Lady Gaga (House of Gucci). As for that final slot, Penélope Cruz and Olivia Colman are certainly in the conversation for their roles in Parallel Mothers and The Lost Daughter respectively, but those films could be a little under the radar for the Globes. They love actors who play musical icons (see Andra Day’s shocking win last year), so I’m predicting they’ll nominate Jennifer Hudson for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in Respect. 

Motion Picture Comedy / Musical

This was the best year for musicals in recent memory, and unlike some years, the Globes have plenty of riches to pick from in this category. West Side Story, Tick, tick… Boom!, Cyrano, and In the Heights all have a great shot to make it into this lineup. But they’ll be competing with comedies Licorice Pizza and Don’t Look Up. I expect the lineup will be pulled from these six films. In the Heights and Cyrano are probably the most vulnerable of the musicals. Though recency bias would favor Cyrano, I’m predicting it to miss, as it’s the least acclaimed the bunch. Or maybe both will show up at the expense of Don’t Look Up, whose divisive reactions could work against it.

Comedy / Musical Actor

There are four actors in this lineup that no one should be betting against: Andrew Garfield (Tick, tick… Boom!), Peter Dinklage (Cyrano), Leonardo DiCaprio (Don’t Look Up), and Anthony Ramos (In the Heights). The final slot is keeping me up at night. I would love for them to go with Simon Rex for Red Rocket, but that’s probably wishful thinking. I could honestly see them going for Ansel Elgort in West Side Story, but in a year where the organization is on thin ice, I think they’ll know better than to bring that sort of controversy their way. I’m perhaps optimistically going with Cooper Hoffman for Licorice Pizza. Although he is young and hasn’t been as seriously in the awards conversation as his co-star Alana Haim, it certainly helps that he is part of a bigger overall contender. 

Comedy / Musical Actress

The two no-brainers here are Alana Haim for Licorice Pizza and Rachel Zegler for West Side Story. I also expect Emma Stone may pretty easily get a nomination for Cruella, considering that things start to get a little thin beyond here. If CODA is in comedy, Emilia Jones will be nominated. And if Haley Bennett is lead for Cyrano, I’d say the same. If not, the most realistic options in my mind are Melissa Berrera (In the Heights), Jennifer Lawrence (Don’t Look Up), and Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World). I am far too cynical to pick the latter, but I would jump for joy if it happened. I’m settling for Berrera and Lawrence for now.

Supporting Actor

I’m expecting both Ciaran Hinds and Jamie Dornan will make it in for Belfast and Belfast respectively. Jared Leto has a shot here for House of Gucci, especially considering he was surprise nominated for The Little Things last year. For the remaining two slots there are a lot of options. Jon Bernthal has a great shot at coat-tailing off of King Richard. And I’d love to see Robin de Jesus in for Tick, tick… Boom!, a film I expect they’ll adore. I’m predicting those two for now. Kodi Smit-McPhee has been garnering lots of critics awards, but I’m skeptical he’ll perform as well with certain major precursors. Troy Kotsur has been gaining steam for CODA, but like Yuh-Jung Youn or Paul Raci last year, he may be too unknown for the HFPA. I’m also watching out for Mike Faist (West Side Story), Bradley Cooper (Licorice Pizza), and Ben Affleck (The Tender Bar). Unfortunately I don’t have much hope for Jason Isaacs (Mass).

Supporting Actress

Four performances widely expected to be nominated here are Ariana Debose (West Side Story), Caitriona Balfe (Belfast), Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard), and Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog). Fighting for that last slot we have Cate Blanchett (Nightmare Alley), Meryl Streep (Don’t Look Up), Ruth Negga (Passing), and Ann Dowd (Mass). I am also considering Rita Moreno for West Side Story. Though this is somewhat of a long shot, it could be a great moment for the Globes to pick a veteran all-star for what will likely be their favorite musical there. But considering how CODA seems like it’s starting to take off, I’m going with Marlee Matlin.

Director

The contenders who seem most likely here are Steven Spielberg (West Side Story), Kenneth Branagh (Belfast), Denis Villeneuve (Dune), and Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog). Many are predicting Paul Thomas Anderson for Licorice Pizza. I am skeptical. The director has never been nominated for a Golden Globe before. We can’t count out Adam McKay (Don’t Look Up), who was nominated for Vice and The Big Short. Nor should we underestimate Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard) or Guillermo del Toro (Nightmare Alley). However, I’m going with Lin Manuel Miranda for Tick, tick… Boom! Some would call this a long-shot, but I think the film is stronger than many are assuming and this feels like just the kind of celebrity actor-director nomination they’re notorious for embracing.

Screenplay

To make up for the director snub, I’m predicting Paul Thomas Anderson will land his first Golden Globe nomination in screenplay for Licorice Pizza. I also feel confident writer-directors Jane Campion and Kenneth Branagh will be nominated for their widely celebrated films. Despite Being the Ricardos’ lackluster reviews I cannot in good conscience underestimate 7-time nominee, 3-time winner Aaron Sorkin in this category. I’ve got my eye on Don’t Look Up here, as well as King Richard. But I feel the love for West Side Story will be so strong that Tony Kushner will take a nomination.

With the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award nominations both taking place Monday the 13th, there will surely be a lot to discuss in terms of how it shapes the Oscar race. Check back here on Cinemablend for more awards analysis in the coming weeks.

In what remains one of his boldest, most personal, and most devastating films, Christopher Nolan traveled to the hidden recesses of places unknown, both physically and emotionally, in 2014's Interstellar, an intergalactic odyssey that's one of his most daring achievements. 

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and John Lithgow, this blockbuster didn't receive the same acclaim as the filmmaker's Dark Knight trilogy, but it has received more appreciation with time. Now that seven years have passed since the film blasted into theaters worldwide, we'll discover what the Interstellar cast is doing right now.  

Matthew McConaughey (Joseph Cooper)

As Joseph Cooper, a widowed NASA pilot-turned-farmer who becomes the head of this perilous space expedition, Matthew McConaughey gives one of his best performances at the forefront of Interstellar. Most notably, the actor won an Oscar for his lead role in Dallas Buyers Club. Also, McConaughey is known for his breakout supporting turn in Dazed and Confused. Away from film, the actor was Emmy-nominated for producing and starring in HBO’s True Detective Season 1.

Most recently, Matthew McConaughey starred in The Gentlemen, which he co-produced, lent his voice to the podcast, Hank the Cowdog, which he also produced, and he was seen in the Fast Times at Ridgemont High Table Read. Also, this past year, he published his memoir, Greenlights. Next, McConaughey will be heard in Sing 2 and the short film, Come Home. Moreover, the actor considered a potential political bid, but opted not to run.

Anne Hathaway (Dr. Amelia Brand)

In the role of Dr. Amelia Brand, the expedition’s chief scientist/biologist, Anne Hathaway is the female lead for the majority of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. The actress won an Oscar for her thunderous supporting turn in Les Miserables. Also, Hathaway is known for starring in The Princess Diaries movies, The Devil Wears Prada, Colossal, Love & Other Drugs, The Intern, Get Smart, and Ella Enchanted. Last year, she starred in The Witches and The Last Thing He Wanted.

Earlier this year, Anne Hathaway starred in HBO Max’s Locked Down and she was seen in Amazon Prime’s Solos. Next, Hathaway will appear in Apple TV+’s WeCrashed. Currently, she’s filming James Gray’s Armageddon Time. Hathaway will also star in Sesame Street, She Came to Me, Bum’s Rush, and The Lifeboat.

Jessica Chastain (Murphy Cooper)

Playing the part of Murphy Cooper, Joseph’s grown-up daughter who follows in her distant father’s footsteps and becomes a Plan A NASA scientist, Jessica Chastain is a lead character in the second half of Interstellar. The acclaimed actress was Oscar-nominated for her lead performance in Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty and she was nominated for her supporting turn in The Help. Her other notable film credits include The Tree of Life, Molly's Game, It: Chapter Two, The Martian, A Most Violent Year, and Dark Phoenix. Last year, Chastain starred in and produced Ava. 

Most recently, Jessica Chastain produced and starred in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, for which she’s expected to receive her third Oscar nomination. She also led and produced HBO’s Scenes from a Marriage and she appeared in the short film, The Sands Between. Next, Chastain will star in The Forgiven, The 355 (which she also produced), and The Good Nurse. Additionally, the esteemed actress is slated to headline and produce The Division and Spectrum Originals’ George and Tammy.  

John Lithgow (Donald)

As Donald, Cooper’s elderly father-in-law, John Lithgow plays a feeble patriarch in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. A well-versed veteran of the stage and screen, the actor is most well-known for Emmy-winning work on 3rd Rock from the Sun, Dexter, and The Crown. Additionally, Lithgow was Oscar-nominated for his supporting turns in The World According to Garp and Terms of Endearment. Outside of acting, Lithgow is the author of Dumpty: The Age of Trump in Verse and 2020's Trumpty Dumpty Wanted a Crown: Verses for a Despotic Age.

Most recently, Lithgow appeared in Pet Sematary (2019), and reprised his role as Arthur Mitchell in Dexter: New Blood. Next, he’ll star in FX’s The Old Man and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. Currently, he's filming Sharper and The Untitled Cabrini Film. 

Michael Caine (Professor John Brand)

In the role of Professor John Brand, Amelia’s father and Cooper’s former mentor, Michael Caine reunites with Christopher Nolan for Interstellar. Considered to be the director’s good luck charm, the actor has frequently worked with Nolan, appearing in The Dark Knight trilogy, The Prestige, Inception, and Dunkirk (the latter only in a voice role). 

Additionally, Caine won Oscars for his supporting turns in Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules. He was also Oscar-nominated for his performances in Alfie, Sleuth, Educating Rita, and The Quiet American. 

Most recently, Michael Caine starred in Best Sellers and reunited with Nolan for Tenet. Furthermore, Caine appeared in Twist and Come Away. Next, he'll be seen in Medieval. Earlier this year, there were reports that the veteran movie star was set to retire, but Caine disputed those claims. 

Wes Bentley (Doyle)

Playing the part of Doyle, a high-standing NASA member, Wes Bentley has a brainy supporting role in Interstellar. Best known for his chilling performance as Ricky Fitts in American Beauty, which earned him a BAFTA nomination, the actor is also recognizable from The Hunger Games, Mission: Impossible — Fallout, Pete’s Dragon, The Best of Enemies, Knight of Cups, Final Girl, Welcome to Me, Underworld: Awakening, and Ghost Rider. 

On TV, Wes Bentley currently can be seen on Paramount Network’s Yellowstone in the role of Jamie Dutton. He also appeared in several seasons of FX’s American Horror Story, including Freak Show, Hotel, and Roanoke. Away from the screen, Bentley was acclaimed for East 13th Street/CSC Theatre’s production of Venus in Fur. Most recently, he was heard in Adult Swim’s Blade Runner: Black Lotus.

Casey Affleck (Tom Cooper)

As Tom Cooper, the adult version of Joseph’s son, Casey Affleck has a prominent part in Interstellar’s second half. The actor won an Oscar for his tremendous lead performance in Manchester by the Sea. Previously, Affleck was acclaimed for his starring roles in Gone, Baby, Gone and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Affleck wrote, directed, and starred in Light of My Life. Also, he previously directed and edited I’m Still Here. 

Earlier this year, Casey Affleck starred in Our Friend and Every Breath You Take, which he produced. He also had a supporting turn in The World to Come, which he also produced. Currently, Affleck is filming the musical biopic, Dreamin’ Wild, where he plays Donnie Emerson. He’s also slated to star in Stoner and Slingshot. 

Timothee Chalamet (Young Tom) 

In the role of Young Tom, Joseph’s teenage son, Timothee Chalamet received one of his first screen credits in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. A few years after the rising talent appeared in this hit blockbuster, the actor gained acclaim for his Oscar-nominated lead role in Call Me By Your Name, as well as his standout supporting turn in Lady Bird. Later, Chalamet was celebrated for his work in Little Women and Beautiful Boy. On television, Chalamet was seen on Showtime’s Homeland. 

Most recently, Timothee Chalamet starred in Dune. He also had a fun supporting role in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch. Next, the actor will appear in Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up. He’ll also star in Luca Guadagino’s Bones & All. Currently, Chalamet is filming Wonka, adopting the purple top hat. He’ll also reprise his role as Paul Atreides in Dune: Part Two, and possibly play Bob Dylan in Going Electric.

Mackenzie Foy (Young Murphy)

Playing the part of Young Murphy, the child version of Joseph’s rather bright-eyed daughter, Mackenzie Foy has a very notable role in the first half of 2014’s Interstellar. The actress is known for playing Renesmee in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1 and 2. Foy’s other film credits include The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, and  Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise. As a voice actress, she can be heard in The Boxcar Children and The Little Prince. Furthermore, Foy was seen on R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour, Hawaii Five-0, and Flashforward. 

Last year, Mackenzie Foy starred in Disney+’s Black Beauty. Next, the actress is slated to star in The Man Who Saved Paris, though development remains slow.

David Gyasi (Romilly) 

As Romilly, a physicist and astronaut participating in the Endurance mission, David Gyasi plays a supporting character in Interstellar. Previously, the actor appeared in Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. Gyasi’s other film credits include Cloud Atlas, Annihilation, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Red Tails, and What a Girl Wants. More recently, Gyasi appeared in Come Away and the short film, Living Things. He also produced/starred in Hell on the Border. 

Away from film, David Gyasi played Major Alex “Lex” Carnahan in The CW’s Containment. His other TV credits include The A Word, Chuggington, Carnival Row, White Heat, and Dream Team. Most recently, Gyasi was seen in Ear for Eye. 

Matt Damon (Mann)

In the role of Mann, an isolated NASA astronaut sent to an icy planet during the Lazarus program, Matt Damon had a surprise part in Interstellar. Most notably, Damon wrote and starred in Good Will Hunting, for which he won an Oscar. From there, Damon starred in titles like the Bourne series, Saving Private Ryan, The Rainmaker, the Ocean's movies, The Martian, True Grit, and Ford v Ferrari.

Most recently, Matt Damon produced, co-wrote, and starred in The Last Duel. He also starred in Stillwater and had a cameo in No Sudden Move. Next, Damon will be seen in Thor: Love and Thunder and reunite with Nolan for Oppenheimer. 

Interstellar is available to stream on Paramount+. To read more about the film's ambiguous ending, other Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway movies, and a whole lot more, be sure to follow CinemaBlend for the latest film news.  

One of the greatest media scandals of the 1980s was that of Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Bakker’s roller coaster ride from being a shining example of televangelist ministry to a financial nightmare of fraud. The fall from grace for this married couple was a national story, with punchlines a plenty cropping up in the frenzy that followed. Director Michael Showalter’s The Eyes of Tammy Faye marks the most recent project that has tried to show the people behind the parody, in particular the titular devotee played by Jessica Chastain, and while Chastain’s performance is a guiding light in a field of well-played roles, the film itself is a sinfully uneven biopic.

Acting as both a chronicle of Tammy Faye Bakker’s journey through faith, and a recounting of the major scandals that would destroy her husband’s ministry, The Eyes of Tammy Faye tries to tackle two fronts at once. The effort is indeed admirable, and to a certain point entertaining and informative as the movie tells a story that's still fresh in the minds of some who lived through it as it happened. Sadly, the final result feels like a quick Cliff's Notes version of what really happened, with a blazing fast pace robbing the movie of any semblance of impact. And unfortunately, the exemplary performances of most involved get lost in the process.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye is Jessica Chastain’s movie, even if it doesn’t allow her to be the focus.

When the film starts off showing the courtship of Tammy (Chastain) and her husband-to-be Jim (Andrew Garfield), the foundation of what’s to come feels stable. Chastain and Garfield’s electric energy propel the film in the first act, showing the couple’s rise to fame coming quickly. But eventually, when the narrative hits the meat of what The Eyes of Tammy Faye tries to accomplish, the focus starts to split, and Jessica Chastain’s performance isn’t enough to keep the film grounded.

As the infamous scandal that ruined the Bakker’s public image takes center stage, the story of Tammy Faye becomes more of a parallel thread than the main thrust. Jessica Chastain still gives her performance the attention it deserves, but the script by writer Abe Sylvia doesn’t allow The Eyes of Tammy Faye’s eponymous character to be the true focus of the film. Which is a shame, because Chastain’s performance is really the epicenter of the amazing cast assembled to tell this story.

Performance triumphs over story in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, as tone and subject matter are left without a shepherd.

The narrative of The Eyes of Tammy Faye may be a bit of a mess, but the performances that are included in the telling are absolutely worth watching. With an ensemble of actor that boasts Cherry Jones and Vincent D’Onofrio on top of Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield, Michael Showalter’s film benefits from a roster of talent that bring their A-game. But even with heavy hitters giving the project their all, the lack of focus severely limits the enjoyment of the finished product.

Jessica Chastain shines as brightly as she does in The Eyes of Tammy Faye not only because of her unique talents, but also because of the fact that she’s supposed to be the star of the show. Her go for broke performance only fuels those around her, Andrew Garfield especially, and there’s some moments of brilliance that do make an impression. Which only makes the lack of choice to either focus on Tammy Faye’s personal journey, or the rise and fall of the PTL Ministry, all the more damaging.

While trying to play as both a personal biopic and an examination of a scandal, The Eyes of Tammy Faye fails to choose a path to walk.

As if the accelerated pacing of The Eyes of Tammy Faye didn’t already rob the story of cohesion, the film’s attempt at being both a scathing indictment of a scandal and a personal dissection of the woman behind the myth falls flat. Save for the performances of the cast, anchored by Jessica Chastain’s luminous efforts to hold everything together, this is a missed opportunity to dig deeper into either the woman, or the scandal that rocked her world. Much like the montages that show Tammy Faye’s personal struggle spiraling out of control, the movie doesn’t know what to hold onto when it’s supposed to hit its stride.

There’s an effort made in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and one cannot discount the work that went into bringing this controversy to life in a more humane light. It’s just a shame that the movie we’re left with didn’t live up to the promise that its cast, and the concept itself, had going for it. While this film may be worth watching for the performances, as well as a quick and dirty look into a massive pop culture scandal, it’s ultimately a soul that’s lost its way, unable to find the salvation it aspires to.

Director Michael Showalter (The Big Sick, Search Party) joins the show to discuss his latest, The Eyes of Tammey Faye, starring Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield.

Stick around for the bulk the show where we talk about Christopher Nolan shifting to Universal Studios for his next film following his apparent fallout with his long-time home at Warner Bros. The deal reportedly came with a laundry list of demands which will provide an interesting stress test for the future of the theatrical market.

When Steven Spielberg drops a trailer, it’s worth talking about. His version of West Side Story is nearly here, and this latest trailer shows off the film’s gorgeous new look.

Timestamps (Approx. Only)

00:02:19 - Weekly Poll

00:12:16 - Michael Showalter Interview

00:35:12 - Christopher Nolan’s New Universal Deal

00:51:54 - New West Side Story Trailer

01:00:55 - Copshop

01:03:30 - Cry Macho

01:10:48 - Blue Bayou

01:15:39 - The Eyes of Tammy Faye

01:24:01 - Our Favorite Alfre Woodard

01:35:41 - Outro

Want More ReelBlend?

Sign up for our premium membership, which includes an extra episode a week, a bi-weekly newsletter from Sean, and ad-free episodes. Also be sure to sure to subscribe to ReelBlend on YouTube for full episodes of the show in video form. Finally, we have all kinds of fun merchandise for dedicated Blenders to flaunt their fandom with pride.

In 2019, the main X-Men film series at then-20th Century Fox concluded with Dark Phoenix, which followed nearly 20 years after the first X-Men movie came out. This story featured Jessica Chastain as Vuk, the leader of the shapeshifting D’Bari who was intent on destroying the Phoenix entity within Jean Grey. But as it turns out, Chastain was missing a key piece of information about her character during the filming of Dark Phoenix, and didn’t learn it until the movie came out: the name.

Jessica Chastain revealed this astounding piece of information in an interview with Happy Sad Confused host Josh Horowitz while noting about how she and Scenes from a Marriage costar Oscar Isaac talked about their experiences playing X-Men villains, with Isaac having played Apocalypse in 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse. Here’s what Chastain had to say about how her time as Vuk:

What’s interesting is that Disney didn’t announce its intention to purchase 20th Century Fox until towards the end of 2017, with the deal being finalized in March 2019. Dark Phoenix’s principal photography unfolded between June to October of 2017. So there’s no reason why the lengthy process of the Mouse House acquiring Fox should have resulted in Jessica Chastain not knowing her character’s name during that time. Even accounting for the extensive reshoots that took place in late 2018 to rework Dark Phoenix’s third act, surely that wouldn’t have affected the identity of Chastain’s character for the entirety of the movie, right?

Still, despite being left in the dark, Jessica Chastain enjoyed working with Dark Phoenix director Simon Kinberg, who made his feature directorial debut with that movie after having been a writer/producer in the X-Men franchise since 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand. As a matter a fact, they did end up collaborating again on The 355, the action movie co-starring Lupita Nyong’o, Diana Kruger and Penélope Cruz that’s coming out next January. Will Chastain and Kinberg team up for a third movie? Let’s wait and see.

As for Dark Phoenix, it proved to be critically and commercially underwhelming, ranking at just 22% among critics on Rotten Tomatoes and only pulling in $252 million worldwide off a reported $200 million budget, making it the lowest grossing movie in the main X-Men film series. Fox’s X-Men era would finally wrap up for good with 2020’s The New Mutants, and now the plan is for the mutant-led property to be rebooted within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the exception of Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson, who will stick around for Deadpool 3.

Jessica Chastain can be seen starring alongside Andrew Garfield in The Eyes of Tammy Faye starting tomorrow, September 17, while new episode of Scenes from a Marriage air Sunday nights on HBO. Keep your eyes locked on CinemaBlend for news concerning the next chapter of the X-Men’s cinematic history.

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

Having potent chemistry between co-stars has always been important in selling a story to viewers. Sometimes onscreen chemistry has even tricked the viewers into thinking the actors are involved in real life. That ended up happening to Scenes of a Marriage co-stars Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain. Of course, this misunderstanding didn’t come from their limited series, but an awkward red carpet moment. After the co-stars got swept up in romance rumors, Chastain finally decided to address the viral moment.

Romance speculation was sparked at the Venice Film Festival premiere of Scenes from a Marriage. While attending the premiere, Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac were playfully touching each other for the cameras. In a scene reminiscent of Gomez and Morticia Addams, Isaac went to kiss Chastain’s elbow, but ended up kissing her armpit. The red carpet moment happened as Chastain was trying to place her arm around her co-star. The two ended up embracing each other moments later, but the armpit kiss took over social media.

As the moment went viral, Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac took everything in stride. They even traded images and memes over social media, but that rapport could only happen due to the co-stars’ decades-long friendship. The Eyes of Tammy Faye star told Entertainment Tonight about sharing the viral moment with her close friend:

It was nice to know that awkward moment came from a playful place. Of course, the moment became misconstrued as the video was taken out of context. If Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac weren’t close, the moment could’ve tested their friendship. At least Chastain was able to highlight her chemistry with her Interstellar co-star Anne Hathaway as well. The viral kiss might put more eyes on their miniseries.

Of course, to put things in perspective, Oscar Isaac has been married to his film director wife, Elvira Lind, since 2017. Jessica Chastain has been married to her husband since 2017 as well. Both couples have two children apiece. So if the romance had been true, it would’ve made for a messy situation for both couples. Thankfully, the co-stars’ chemistry came from their rapport and mutual respect.

When it comes to Scenes from a Marriage, Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac play a couple who deal with the difficulties of a long relationship. Of course, that chemistry was reflected in the red carpet viral moment. With that said, viewers can catch the co-stars’ palpable intimacy as the HBO miniseries airs every Sunday at 9 pm. If you want to catch new episodes on HBO Max, use this link to subscribe to the streaming service. Hopefully, the two stars will find some time in their busy schedules to do another project together.

Throughout the 1980s, televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker made headlines and became tabloid fodder for their elaborate religious empire and the eventual scandals that overtook their massive ministry. Jim Bakker was accused of swindling his supporters and convicted of fraud and sexual misconduct. Tammy Faye, meanwhile, became a nationwide sensation thanks to her homespun country personality but gaudy appearance, which was lampooned often on the covers of The National Enquirer and like-minded supermarket rags.

But in the South, particularly in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Bakkers were locals whose story captivated their neighbors and friends. So when Andrew Garfield and Jessica Chastain were given the opportunity to film their upcoming movie The Eyes of Tammy Faye in Charlotte -- the Bakker’s one-time “backyard,” so to speak -- they jumped at the chance. In our exclusive interview recorded during the Toronto International Film Festival, the two stars tell CinemaBlend why the location shoot mattered so much, and how it helped their preparation.

Directed by Michael Showalter (The Big Sick), The Eyes of Tammy Faye traces the path of Jim (Garfield) and Tammy Faye (Chastain) from their early calling to preach Jesus’ word through their meteoric rise in the industry of television preachers such as Pat Robertson (Gabriel Olds) and Jerry Falwell (Vincent D’Onofrio). It hints at the reasons that the Bakkers became swept up in their quest for financial successes, but skims the surface of the true motivations behind their devastating fall from grace.

The acting duo were able to draw inspiration, it seems, from the people surrounding them as they filmed. Setting up shop in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker founded the PTL Satellite Network for televangelism, and the sprawling headquarters of Heritage USA, Chastain revealed how the local color and flavor helped her to understand Tammy Faye better. She told CinemaBlend:

That compassion bleeds over into Jessica Chastain’s portrayal of Tammy Faye Bakker, which is far more humane than one might have expected, given the tabloid nature of the former Christian sensation’s reputation. The Eyes of Tammy Faye tries to get to the heart of who this woman was behind the scandals, and it’s Chastain’s fearless performance, inspired by the down-home roots of North Carolina, that helped her pull off that task.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye just held its world premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, and is quickly making its way to theaters. Look for it near you beginning this Friday, Sept. 17.

Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac are getting ready for the premiere of their new limited HBO drama Scenes From a Marriage, which is adapted from Ingmar Bergman’s 1973 Swedish miniseries. Since the series features the two actors offering a deep exploration into all angles of a couple's relationship, it means having to get intimate with one another in both physical and emotional ways. And it appears bourbon helped with that process, at least where Chastain is concerned.

Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac promoted the upcoming HBO limited series for its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it was well received by attendees. While discussing the project's wide-open depiction of its central coupling, Chastain opened up about the levels of intimacy she and her co-star have to peel through while filming the show. Thankfully for all involved, the two actors get along swimmingly, and they don't appear to have had any major issues while filming. But even the friendliest of friends sometimes need an additional boost to keep the comfort level buoyed when things get a little sexual, with Chastain saying (via Deadline):

Although imbibing on bourbon seems to have helped take the edge off, it's not as if everyone was going into the filming with raging drunkenness. (That would probably count as an "issue.") Before the liquor came the candid conversations between the two actors, along with those involved with filming, to make sure that everyone remained comfortable and stable throughout the more sexually charged scenes.

To that end, Oscar Isaac also talked about how much his off-screen relationship with Jessica Chastain helped to inform what viewers see on the screen, with the MCU actor saying:

Scenes From a Marriage relocates Ingmar Bergman’s complicated exploration of marriage and divorce to America, with Jessica Chastain as the eyes-on-the-prize tech exec Mira, and Oscar Isaac as the brainy philosophy professor Jonathan. The series, which was crafted by The Affair and Our Boys' Hagai Levi, will no doubt be stressful enough to have viewers reaching for their own on-the-rocks glasses and bourbon bottles.

Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac’s friendship goes way back, as they were classmates at Julliard and starred together in A Most Violent Year in 2014. Having known each other for so long, their natural comfort with each other isn't so surprising, although that kind of platonic friendship also has its own ways of making things difficult when it comes to physical connections. However it goes, I can't wait to see how it all plays out!

Scenes From a Marriage will premieres on HBO on Sunday, September 12 at 9:00 p.m. ET. Stay up to date with all the other big premieres hitting the 2021 Fall TV season as well!

Jessica Chastain is no stranger to telling true stories, famously being nominated for her role in Zero Dark Thirty, along with portraying poker entrepreneur Molly Bloom in Molly’s Game and WWII animal lover Antonia Zabinski in The Zookeeper’s Wife. One of Chastian’s latest roles is the actress’ most impressive transformation yet, as she plays televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker for The Eyes Of Tammy Faye. Though according to the actress, a recent interview led to some misinformation about her time playing the role.

When speaking to The Los Angeles Times about portraying the late television personality earlier this week, among the things Jessica Chastain talked about included the journey to look like Tammy Faye, who famously packed on a ton of makeup. The actress shared that becoming unrecognizable in the role took up to seven and a half hours a day along with these words:

The popular headline that came out of the interview is word that playing Tammy Faye had done “permanent damage” to her skin, as stated above. Jessica Chastain has since taken to Twitter to clarify her comments and say that no, the makeup she wore for The Eyes of Tammy Faye did not alter her skin forever:

Sometimes interviews can be taken out of context when quoted onto websites because readers lose the particular pitch and tone actors like Jessica Chastain was using when speaking about things like The Eyes of Tammy Faye. The actress shared a picture of her face that looks clear as day, while also clearing up that being in the movie perhaps ruined her skin.

It’s highly possible that the quote created some backlash amongst the makeup artists involved in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, who wouldn’t be happy to hear that their work damaged an actor’s skin. Plus, the movie seems to be one that could be up for Best Makeup during awards season, and press relaying it ruined one of its stars' skin is not helpful to have out there. Check out Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye trailer:

The upcoming movie will also star The Amazing Spider-Man’s Andrew Garfield as Tammy Faye’s husband Jim Bakker, who worked with her as a team to create the world’s largest religious broadcasting network and theme park. The Eyes Of Tammy Faye is coming to theaters on September 24.

When you work in the entertainment industry it's easy to take for granted things that the average person just doesn't know. Among those things, apparently, is the fact that Jessica Chastain and Bryce Dallas Howard are actually two different actresses. While the fact that the two actresses have some physical similarities is certainly obvious, the two apparently get mistaken for each other on a somewhat regular basis. And Jessica Chastain says she's sick of it, using a popular TikTok meme to voice her, tongue-in-cheek, displeasure.

The meme is a simple one, it includes people lip-syncing to an audio track by KingDiaaa2 with text explaining what is they are sick of. In this case, Jessica Chastain is sick of people thinking she's in the Jurassic World movies, because she's not actually Bryce Dallas Howard. Check it out.

The mem is funny on it's own but it's the massive smile that Jessica Chastain has at the end that makes it art. She's clearly having a blast here. She also includes a great Parent Trap reference, because they're not actually identical twins. They are actresses of close to the same age who both have red hair, but one feels like that shouldn't actually be enough to get them confused.

While the two actresses can look very similar, they rarely actually make similar movies. The roles that each tends to take are different enough that I honestly find it tough to believe that people really get them confused. Maybe a glance at a single still image of one might cause you to get confused on who it is, but if you actually see them on screen they really don't resemble each other that much, do they?

Of course, I'm likely preaching to the choir. If you're reading this then you're probably enough of a movie fan to know who is who. If there is any real confusion it's likely among the more casual movie audience who doesn't necessarily pay that much attention. A lot of people who go to see Jurassic World movies probably don't actually know the names of all the actors, so some of them probably think Jessica Chastain is in those movies.

For those who need help, Jessica Chastain is a two-time Academy Award nominee who will next be seen in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, which may very well get her a third Oscar nomination. On the plus side, Chastain looks nothing like herself there, and thus nothing like Bryce Dallas Howard, so nobody should get them confused.

Bryce Dallas Howard is the one who will next be seen in Jurassic World: Dominion, a movie which likely to make a ton more money than basically any movie Jessica Chastain has ever been in. One wins awards, the other makes blockbusters. We good?

Unless you are from the South, and born within a certain time frame, there’s a chance you aren’t even familiar of the legend of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, televangelists who came to prominence in the 1970s and ‘80s by bilking their gullible followers into funding their religious empire, only to see the house of cards they constructed collapse down on them, leading to jail time. A movie about their spectacular ascent and messy tumble seemed inevitable, but who would be able to capture the artificial look that Tammy Faye Bakker became incredible popular for?

The answer is “nobody,” so Jessica Chastain has to completely disappear into a mixture of cosmetics and prosthetics to play one half of the faith-based telemarketers in director Michael Showalter’s upcoming biopic The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Press play on the trailer above and drink in the madness.

As you can tell from the trailer above, Jim and Tammy Faye came together over a shared passion for religion, though even the vibe being shared by Tammy Faye’s mother shows that her daughter has been duped into going above and beyond in the name of the Lord before, probably with uneven results. But once paired with Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield), Tammy Faye finally figures out how to connect with needy souls who seek their specialized brand of guidance… so long as they are willing to pay big bucks to receive it.

The trailer for the upcoming film The Eyes of Tammy Faye makes it looks like the bulk of the film will cover the couple’s construction of The PTL Club, a television program they hosted out of my own backyard of Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a religious talk show, one that relied heavily on the donations sent in by loyal audience members. (PTL, around here, earned the nickname “Pass the Loot,” as Jim Bakker often found himself under investigation for fraud and sex scandals, which eventually caught up with him.)

All of that will be explored as we inch closer to this film’s September release. Right now, the conversation seems to be focused on, “Wait, is that really Jessica Chastain?” I’ve heard some critique the makeup in the trailer as being over-the-top and grotesque. To them I reply, “Have you ever looked up a photograph of the real Tammy Faye?” Her appearance kept her on the cover of tabloid newspapers and in the monologues of late-night talk show hosts for years. I think Chastain looks spot on.

That September 17 release date indicates to me that Fox Searchlight will be bringing The Eyes of Tammy Faye on the fall film festival circuit, testing to see if it has Awards Legs. Keep it here for more coverage on this film, as well as the other features we anticipate making it into the annual Oscar race.

As of right now, there are a lot of Stephen King adaptations that are currently in the works – both for the big screen and small – but few are as exciting as the developing remake of the 1980 novel Firestarter. The film is set to be produced by Blumhouse and directed by up-and-comer Keith Thomas, and it was reported this past summer that Zac Efron has signed on to play the role of Andy McGee – a young man who has to go on the run with his pyrokinetic daughter while being pursued by a government agency known as The Shop. Now, fans are just waiting for the project to progress further and start adding more names to the cast, but while we exhibit some patience, I figured that I’d have a bit of fun speculating about actors who would be great fits for the key roles.

To add a bit more of a challenge to the task, I’ve narrowed the pool of options to only performers who have acted in previous adaptations from the author – and even with that limitation I think I’ve found a great collection of talent who can effectively embody their respective characters (and who also fit with the existing casting). Pulling names from movies and shows like IT Chapter 2 and The Outsider, here are seven Stephen King actors who should join Zac Efron in the remake of Firestarter!

Violet McGraw (Doctor Sleep) As Charlie McGee

Of all the picks for this list, finding the right actor to play Charlie McGee presented far and away the greatest challenge. After all, Charlie is only supposed to be eight years old, and so I really only could choose from the most recent Stephen King adaptations. The stroke of luck is that Violet McGraw, who is featured in the opening scene of Doctor Sleep, would make an honestly excellent pick. She’s technically already a bit old for the part (she’s nine-years-old as of the time of this feature’s publication), but she has proven to be a talented performer, not only in the Shining adaptation, but also in Netflix’s The Haunting Of Hill House. She also has the perfect innocent look to play a child who doesn’t quite have a leash on her incredible gifts.

Zahn McClarnon (Doctor Sleep) As John Rainbird

If I’m being totally honest, the idea of Zahn McClarnon playing the new version of John Rainbird was very much the inspiration for writing this list, as he truly would be the ideal pick to play the Firestarter antagonist. Rainbird is a cruel and twisted individual who works as an agent for The Shop, badly scarred as a result of his time in military service, as the role requires an actor who can both chill the blood and demonstrate a softer side (specifically for the part of the story where he tries to befriend Charlie and get her to go along with The Shop’s plans). McClarnon most definitely has the skills required, as the man has frequently proven himself to be an outstanding performer – his standout credits include playing Crow Daddy in Doctor Sleep, as well as turns on the television shows Fargo and Westworld.

Jessica Chastain (IT: Chapter 2) As Captain Hollister

There is an unwritten onus that remakes have to switch up certain elements in order to differentiate and modernize the story being told, and I’m thinking one of the ways that can happen with this new version of Firestarter is with Captain Hollister. The head of The Shop, the character was played by Martin Sheen in the 1983 film, but this time around it would be great to see IT Chapter 2’s Jessica Chastain take on the role. Her Oscar-nominated turn in Zero Dark Thirty should be all the proof that’s needed to demonstrate that she can access the kind of authority necessary for the part, and it would be interesting to see how the gender change might have an impact on her relationship with Charlie McGee.

Justine Lupe (Mr. Mercedes) As Vicky McGee

Vicky McGee, the wife of Andy and mother of Charlie, does not exactly have the most substantial part to play in Firestarter, as her segment of the story is almost entirely limited to the first act – but it has an interesting legacy due to the fact that Heather Locklear made her big screen debut playing the role in the 1983 adaptation, and Justine Lupe would make a smart fit for the new take. Stephen King fans best know her from her turn as Holly Gibney in Mr. Mercedes, but she’s also shown great range with performances on Succession and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. It’s easy to imagine her pairing well with Zac Efron as Vicky and Andy go through the experimental trial that winds up giving them psychic powers, which they then eventually pass on to their daughter.

Anthony LaPaglia (A Good Marriage) As Irv Manders

To me, Anthony LaPaglia will always be youth-inspiring music store owner Joe Reaves in Empire Records, and while that’s a performance far removed from his turn as serial killer Bob Anderson in A Good Marriage, reflections on it make him an ideal fit to play Irv Manders. It’s not an overly complex role, but Irv is the kind of genial guy who is willing to take in a father and daughter on the run from government agents and protect them with his life even after he discovers their powerful secrets. This is another instance where it’s easy to envision key scenes, in this case, the one where Andy confesses what’s really going on with him and Charlie as The Shop closes in.

Mare Winningham (The Outsider, Under The Dome) As Norma Manders

Casting an amiable Irv Manders requires also casting an amiable Norma Manders, his wife, and Stephen King veteran Mare Winningham would make a perfect choice for the role. Unlike LaPaglia, the actor’s past King work is exactly why I thought of her for this part, as I instantly brought to mind the scene in The Outsider when she is brought in by her character’s husband to help a young girl more openly discuss an interaction she had with the show’s central villain. That spirit is exactly what Norma needs in Firestarter, making her an ideal fit. (Bonus Stephen King fact: in addition to her TV work, Winningham also does the audiobook narration for the excellent Lisey’s Story.)

Samuel L. Jackson (1408, Cell) As Dr. Joseph Wanless

Rounding out the cast with Dr. Joseph Wanless, the psychologist who runs the original trial experiment on Andy and Vicky, I think this would be a great opportunity for Samuel L. Jackson to make his third Stephen King adaptation after 1408 and Cell. While the character in Firestarter begins as a curious scientist, revelations about Charlie McGee’s abilities have a massive impact on him, as he becomes convinced that to allow her to live means risking the possibility of her cracking the world in half when she gets in a volatile mood. To get the appropriate intensity, why not go to one of the most intense actors in the business?

What do you think of these picks? Within the same parameters, do you have other picks for the key roles in Firestarter? Hit the comments section with your own selections, and be sure to stay tuned for future updates about the developing Zac Efron movie!

Considering how long medical dramas like ER tend to last, how often cast members rotate, and how frequently it require new actors to play the patient(s) of the week, the cast list is unsurprisingly, but still impressively, large. The aforementioned NBC series lasted 15 seasons (from 1994-2009) and made A-listers out of George Clooney, Don Cheadle, and Julianna Margulies to name just a few, but did you know Chadwick Boseman was a guest star before he became a household name?

The late, Marvel movie alum is far from the only beloved celebrity to make an early appearance on ER. In fact, we found an overwhelming amount of notable names to choose from, but settled on a still sizable 20 to include below, starting with one of the busiest and most respected actresses of her generation.

Jessica Chastain (Dahlia Taslitz)

In her acting debut, two-time Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain played a 19-year-old who appears to have done a faulty job taking care of her brain damaged father on ER’s tenth season. Coincidentally, the It: Chapter Two star will soon appear in The Good Nurse - the true crime story of an MD (Eddie Redmayne) whose “faulty” performance causes hundreds of patient deaths.

Chadwick Boseman (Derek Taylor)

In the final season of ER, a then-31-year-old Chadwick Boseman appeared as a boxer alongside screen legend (and future The Mandalorian star) Carl Weathers as his father. After playing the lead of Black Panther just a decade later, the actor would become a screen legend himself and will be remembered as such long after his untimely death in August 2020, following a private cancer battle, at the age of 43.

J.K. Simmons (Gus Loomer)

Speaking of legendary Marvel movie performances, Palms Springs star J.K. Simmons reprised J. Jonah Jameson for the MCU in Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019. Back in 2004, on ER, the future Oscar winner played a man more concerned with the state of his Hummer than his own health after suffering a crash that he survived, but two others did not.

Danny Pudi (Mahir Kardatay)

Community’s Abed Nadir actor Danny Pudi had a more low-key Marvel movie appearance as a S.H.I.E.L.D. communications technician in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. His second acting gig was a prominent guest role on Season 12 of ER as a man who gets in a violent brawl with his sister’s boyfriend while she is treated at County General for stab wounds in the neck.

Chris Pine (Levine)

Danny Pudi would later appear in 2016’s Star Trek Beyond opposite Chris Pine, playing Capt. James T. Kirk a third time before starring in two Wonder Woman movies as Steve Trevor. This impressive career all started with an appearance on Season 9 of ER lasting mere seconds as a patient still drunk from a Valentine’s Day party… from five days earlier.

Anton Yelchin (Robbie Edelstein)

Chris Pine’s Star Trek co-star Anton Yelchin also made his debut on ER as a 10-year-old survivor of a car crash that killed his parents. Sadly, the talented actor passed away in 2016, at the age of 27, when his own Jeep rolled backward, struck him, and pinned him against the his home’s security fence.

Dakota Fanning (Delia Chadsey)

Another one of Anton Yelchin’s earlier roles was in the Steven Spielberg-produced sci-fi miniseries Taken opposite an 8-year-old Dakota Fanning. The now 26-year-old Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood actress also made her debut on ER as a 6-year-old recovering leukemia patient whose need for further chemo treatment is discovered after suffering a car accident.

Kathy Griffin (Dolores Minky)

Speaking of Quentin Tarantino movies, he actually directed a Season 1 episode of ER starring Kathy Griffin, who had previously worked with the director on Pulp Fiction. The comedian and former Bravo reality show star plays the troop leader for eight young Ranger Scouts who are all sent to County General with diarrhea.

Shia LaBeouf (Darnel Smith)

After ER, Kathy Griffin would a land a starring role on the sitcom Suddenly Susan, on which a young Shia LaBeouf once guest starred on. The former Disney Channel and Transformers star, who later made a name for himself with bizarre performance art (among other things), also appeared on the medical drama's sixth season as a patient with muscular dystrophy.

Josh Gad (Sgt. Bruce Larabee)

Also famous for his work with Disney, following his Tony-nominated performance in The Book of Mormon, is Josh Gad - the voice of Olaf in the Frozen movies. His first gig as part of the Screen Actors Guild was a 2005 episode ER as a combat medic stationed in Iraq with Michael Gallant (Sharif Atkins).

Katee Sackhoff (Jason’s Girlfriend)

Josh Gad also lent his his voice to the animated Star Wars: Rebels series, which also stars Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan Kryze - whom she recently brought to live action on The Mandalorian. Before Battlestar Galactica sparked her career as sci-fi royalty, she starred on a Halloween episode of ER from 2002 which, coincidentally, is the year she appeared in the infamous Halloween: Resurrection. Bonus fact: this was the first of four episodes starring MCU's future War Machine actor Don Cheadle.

Ewan McGregor (Duncan Stewart)

Speaking of Star Wars actors, playing a young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel trilogy skyrocketed Ewan McGregor to the A-list. The Golden Globe-winning Scotsman actor had already received acclaim for his lead role in Trainspotting a year before playing a desperate man holding Dr. Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) and others hostage at a convenience store on ER's third season.

Nick Offerman (Rog)

Ewan McGregor won his Golden Globe for FX's Fargo, which, in its previous season, had starred Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation's Ron Swanson and Megan Mullally's husband) in a recurring role. The actor made his TV debut as aspiring rock star whose bass player band mate is rushed into County General on ER's mockumentary style Season 4 premiere that was filmed and broadcasted live.

Adam Scott (David Kerstetter)

Nick Offerman's Parks and Recreation co-star Adam Scott (who has made more dramatic turns recently in Black Mass or the HBO series Big Little Lies) can also boast ER as one of his earliest acting gigs. In the medical drama's first season, the then 22-year-old played a man bleeding out of his chest after being hit by a car.

Lin Shaye (Margaret)

Adam Scott also a few horror movies under his belt, as recently as Krampus or as early as Hellraiser: Bloodline, but Lin Shaye of Insidious and A Nightmare on Elm Street fame, a living legend of the genre. The 77-year-old actress, and sister of New Line Cinema founder Bob Shaye, also had the honor appearing on the final episode of ER.

Octavia Spencer (Maria Jones)

Another star I regard as an underrated Scream Queen (for Drag Me to Hell, the title role of Ma, and the grandmother in Robert Zemeckis' The Witches remake) is Octavia Spencer. Yet, years before she became the Academy Award-winning star of The Help, the actress appeared on Season 5 of ER as a pregnant woman thinking of having her third abortion.

Keegan-Michael Key (Witkowski)

While his best friend and writing parter Jordan Peele has since graduated into scarier and dramatic projects more frequently, Keegan-Michael Key is still trucking with plenty of comedic parts on his resume as of late. However, ironically, the now 49-year-old former MADtv star made his TV debut on ER in the eighth season of the popular and often humorless medical drama

Kal Penn (Narajan)

After hitting it big as one-half of the titular duo from the smash hit stoner comedy Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Kal Penn would soon graduate into more serious projects, such as a position in the Obama Administration and playing a doctor on House from 2007-2012. His first time playing a medical professional, however, was in a brief appearance on ER in a 2001 episode from the series' eighth season.

Jared Padalecki (Paul Harris)

Early 2021 sees Jared Padalecki graduate to a new genre, specifically the western, as the title character of The CW's Walker after chasing ghosts and goblins on Supernatural as Sam Winchester for 15 seasons. Yet, while the 38-year-old Scream King was still a series regular on Gilmore Girls, he played a high school student who gets in a car crash with his father, played by Jim Belushi, after arguing over his future as a hockey player on a Season 7 episode of ER.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Firefighter Larkin)

Starring as Jared Padalecki's father on Supernatural was Jeffrey Dean Morgan, whose best known role in the realm of medical TV dramas is on Grey's Anatomy as Denny Duquette, Izzie Stevens' (Katherine Heigl) patient and love interest. However, it was only a few years earlier when the prolific comic book adaptation actor appeared on the seventh season of ER as a firefighter undergoing a leg amputation.

What do you think? Does seeing these celebrities before their prime make you want to rewatch ER from the beginning to point out even more of the stars your may have missed? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the long-running medical drama, as well as even more inside looks into famous guest stars that may have slipped your mind, here on CinemaBlend.