Jessica Chastain and Kathryn Bigelow were considered sure bets to be nominated for Best Actress and Best Director when the Oscar nominations were announced yesterday morning. Unfortunately, only Chastain got nominated and for whatever reason, Bigelow got snubbed.
Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal at the Oscars
Now, Chastain is opening up about her Oscar nomination, as well as her director’s snub, in a new interview with The Wrap. When discussing her nomination, Chastain says, "It's bittersweet for me. I'm so excited, but I also feel the shock of Kathryn not being nominated. The film is so fearless and bold, and it has Kathryn's stamp all over it. I have to use a sports analogy, because my family is really into sports: If your team is going to the Super Bowl, you don't get there without your coach."
She continues about not expecting her nomination, saying, “I always think it's the kiss of death when somebody says, 'Oh, you've got this. Last year I didn't think I was going to get nominated. I thought I made too many movies, and I'd get lost. And this year, maybe because I'm a pessimist and because so many people kept saying that I was going to get it, I thought, I'm not going to get a nomination. I'll be this year's big upset." She adds that she thought she definitely got snubbed this year, saying, “I knew there was internet on the plane, and I knew some of the people on the plane. A good 15 minutes went by where nobody said anything to me, so I thought, OK, I didn't get nominated, I was right. And then the incredible Kathryn Bigelow walked over to me and mouthed, 'Congratulations on your Oscar nomination.'"
Jessica Chastain in 'Zero Dark Thirty'
However, her anger and shock soon came to the fore when it was revealed that Bigelow herself was not nominated. She says, “The movie being nominated for Best Picture, that's because of Kathryn. Me being nominated for Best Actress, that's because of Kathryn."
Jessica Chastain talks about 'Zero Dark Thirty' with Joblo
