“This is hard. This is destroying me”: Jessica Chastain Was Reduced to Tears Filming ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ When the Filming Got a Bit Too Real

SUMMARY

• Jessica Chastain described Zero Dark Thirty as her most challenging role, both emotionally and mentally, due to its intense subject matter and grueling shooting conditions.
• The film required Chastain to embody her character's obsessive drive, leading her to adopt unique methods, like plastering her hotel room with terrorist faces to stay in character.
• Chastain's portrayal of Maya demanded immense emotional restraint, with her first moment of vulnerability appearing only at the film's end, highlighting her dedication to the role.

Now 47, Jessica Chastain is an Oscar winner with a portfolio which can make any Hollywood bigwig green. While her Academy Award win came for a remarkable performance as Tammy Faye in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Chastain has remained active in recent years as well.

However, her toughest role came in Zero Dark Thirty, which was released back in 2012. In it, Chastain portrayed Maya, a CIA operative tasked with tracking Osama bin Laden. During an interview, Chastain revealed the harrowing toll the film took on her mental and emotional well-being.

Jessica Chastain’s toughest role came in Zero Dark Thirty

Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty | Credits: Universal Pictures

Jessica Chastain described Zero Dark Thirty as the toughest project of her career. “There were so many times that I thought, This is hard. This is destroying me,” she admitted. (via Vulture) The shoot, which involved intense torture scenes and culturally challenging environments, left her emotionally drained. These sequences, shot in an active Jordanian prison, were grueling to perform. Chastain recalled, “It was not a fun experience — at all.”

Her commitment to the role extended beyond the set. To fully embody Maya’s obsessive drive, Chastain plastered her hotel room with photocopies of terrorist faces. She explained,

It was the way Maya would have done.

Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye | Credits: Searchlight Pictures

Shooting in Jordan posed its own challenges, especially as a woman. Chastain recounted being forced to wear full black robes when visiting a mosque with her director Kathryn Bigelow and producer Megan Ellison. The experience made her feel invisible:

I was shocked. It really made me feel invisible… I find the covering up to be a very strange thing.

As the challenges were constant, Chastain went on to explain how she would often go home and have a ‘good cry,’ just to come to terms with everything she was going through.

Zero Dark Thirty required consistent emotional restraint from Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain in a still from Interstellar | Credits: Paramount Pictures

One incident at the prison particularly stood out. A guard insisted she walk alone up a road to the facility so other guards could watch her. She said: (via Vulture)

 At that moment, I was so angry. I wanted to be like, ‘Screw you! I’m leaving.’ But I can’t do that because then I’m losing. I’ve got to make the film.

Chastain revealed that portraying Maya required immense restraint. Maya’s first moment of vulnerability appears only at the end of the film, forcing Chastain to suppress her emotions during filming. 

As an actor, you’re like, ‘Let me show off!’ But that’s not who she was. There was a lot of me going home and having a good cry by myself in my hotel room.

Of course, the choices did pay off. The movie earned a total of over $132 million, against a budget of $40 million, and was well-received by both critics and viewers.

Zero Dark Thirty is available to stream on Netflix. 

Written by Rishabh Bhatnagar

Articles Published: 266

Rishabh Bhatnagar is an Entertainment and pop culture journalist/editor with Fandom Wire. He has more than 6 years of experience working for multiple major platforms and is himself an avid consumer of worthwhile content. A natural storyteller, Rishabh has a unique way with words and is always looking to improve, as a storyteller, writer, and a journalist.