On November 14, Jessica Chastain joined Entertainment Tonight host Nichelle Turner and Kelly Carmichael, president of production and development at Freckle Films, at Marie Claire's 2022 Power Trip Summit. Important Dialogues.

Turner began the conversation by asking Carmichael and Chastain about the inspiration behind Freckle Films, a production company Chastain founded in 2016 with the intention of amplifying women's stories. For Chastain, her passion for telling women's stories goes back to her childhood. 'I was raised by a single mother. My grandmother was also a single mother. I grew up surrounded by women all my life. I felt like women were being erased from society, and that really made me feel insecure."

In a lively conversation, the actress also opened up about her 2015 Critics Award speech, an eye-opening conversation she had with co-star Octavia Spencer, and the changes she noticed in Hollywood. Highlights of Chastain and Carmichael's conversation with Turner are below.

Chastain on her early passion for telling women's stories:

"I remember when I was in school, the history textbooks didn't mention the incredible things women accomplished. Then, as an adult, when I was able to do my own research, I came across these stories and wondered why I had never heard of them before. Women are human beings, and how wonderful it is to show them as human beings, no matter how courageous or flawed they may be.

Chastain on the impact of her 2015 Critics Award speech:

"It was the first. I don't remember the name of the award, but it was given to a performer who had worked on multiple films or something that year. It was the year of 'Interstellar,' 'Her Most Violent Year,' and 'Miss Julie. I went up on stage, I mean, Ava [DuVernay] felt she needed to give flowers to "Selma," but she didn't that day. So I went up on stage and made the case for our industry and what we are missing out on and what we need to change."

"I went to London right after that to do some press work, and I told everyone that your speech was great. And I decided to use the visibility and power I had in the industry to create a company that would help lift others up."[15

Carmichael describes the mission behind Freckle Films:

"I don't mean to speak for [Jessica's] vision, but it was really about telling women's stories. In essence: to create content that speaks to the women in our lives and the people we see every day who perhaps have not been represented before. That was really fundamental."

On Octavia Spencer standing up for equal pay: [I've been in every movie this woman has been in that has been nominated for an Oscar multiple times, won an Oscar, won every award. And I was wrong. It was a very simple lesson. We should be talking more about our salaries. But the reality is, I assumed. But the reality is, I assumed it. It was very brave of her to say so. Because when you speak up for yourself in that way, it creates a ripple effect."

Chastain on the changes she has seen in the film industry:

"I've seen a lot of changes from the beginning. I've been in the industry for a little over 10 years now, and when I started in the industry, things couldn't have been more different in terms of being an actress. In the beginning, if you had an idea for a movie, you had to talk to the actors, and the actors had to communicate their ideas to the director. So it was one-on-one. That's how I made my ideas come to life. Whenever I approached the director, it was always no, no, no, no. But the moment the actor did it, he would listen (to the director). But the moment the actor did it, [the director] listened. So I knew I had to become good friends with the male actors. No more."

Chastain explains why she was drawn to her next project, George & Tammy:

"In the beginning, I didn't know how much I was going to like country music, but Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette are amazing. Loretta Lynn sang about birth control. She was a feminist in her music and with the same men. She was very much a "lean on the man" type of woman. Tammy Wynette sang 'Stand By Your Man' and 'Run Woman Run' and told women to stay put because they might not find their next man. She was the exact opposite. She was nicknamed the First Lady of Country Music for a reason. She was the first woman to sell over a million albums. It was because she was savvy and incredibly brave. And that's what I was excited about: who she was and how the world saw her."

Carmichael wonders what sells her own story: [To achieve your dreams is to really work hard, to listen with an open mind, and hopefully find opportunities. I think what is so important in finding your way and telling your own story is being present and available."

Chastain wondered what would be the selling point of his own story:

"If someone were to tell my story ...... it would be hard to answer. To recognize how important women have been in my life and that without them I would not be here. I have many men, friends, and significant others in my life, but who I am has been strengthened and built up by the support and care of other women. For me, as everyone talks about their soul mate or beloved: ...... women are like the love of my life."