BY NBC NEWS
At the beginning of 2023, Jessica Chastain said to Andy Cohen on “Watch What Happens Live” that she would be willing to read the screenplay for the movie version of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s best-selling book “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.”
The title character, an aloof former Hollywood actress who muses on her life in a farewell interview with an unidentified journalist, has long been the role that fans have favored Oscar-winning actors to portray.
When questioned about the fan casting, Chastain said, “I do know there is an online thing about it.” “OK, forward me a screenplay.”
As the year draws to a close, Chastain is formally saying goodbye to her role as Evelyn Hugo’s seven husbands. It has been reported by IndieWire and E! News that she has said there is “zero possibility” that she would portray Evelyn Hugo in a film.
But I like the fans’ excitement. Chastain said. “Every day that I worked on Broadway, they would be outside with the books when I signed them. I adore how amazing that fan base is. I apologize for disappointing everyone, but I’m excited to see it!
The book by Taylor Jenkins Reid was released in 2017. In 2022, Netflix announced that it was working on a feature-length version, with Leslye Headland directing and Liz Tigelaar writing the screenplay. When a video of Chastain declining to autograph a fan’s copy of the novel “Evelyn Hugo” went viral on social media in the spring, the actress became well-known. She subsequently explained her decision on X, which was Twitter at the time.
In April, Chastain stated, “I’ve been asked multiple times by fans to sign books that I’m not contractually attached to.” I will state that I am unable to sign because I am not performing the job since it seems improper and like I am taking credit for someone else’s labor. That does not imply that I read a subpar screenplay.
Presently, Chastain is touring the press circuit in favor of her independent film “Memory,” in which she co-stars with Peter Sarsgaard, for which he was awarded the best actor prize at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year. On January 5, the movie opens in cinemas around the country.
