Jessica Chastain reveals her life-changing connection to the late Robin Williams.
It turns out two-time Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain, 37, has the late Robin Williams to thank for making it possible for her to study acting at Juilliard.
In a Facebook post Monday, Chastain explained how Williams’ generosity changed her life.
“Robin Williams changed my life. He was a great actor and a generous person,” she wrote. “Through a scholarship, he made it possible for me to graduate college. His generous spirit will forever inspire me to support others as he supported me. He will forever be missed.”
Chastain graduated from Juilliard in 2003 with a BFA in drama and became a part of the famed school’s drama division’s Group 32.
She went on to star in such critically acclaimed films as The Tree of Life, The Help and Zero Dark Thirty.
“I’m the first person in my family to go to college. We didn’t have a lot of money, and Juilliard is a pretty expensive school,” she also explained in a previous interview with her Take Shelter co-star Michael Shannon for Interview magazine. “Robin Williams is a very generous Juilliard alumnus, and gives a scholarship every two years to a student, and it pays for everything, and I got it. I still haven’t gotten to meet him.”
Hollywood Mourns the Loss of Robin Williams
Sadly, Williams passed away Monday of a suspected suicide.
“The Juilliard community is deeply saddened by the death of our distinguished alumnus Robin Williams. Robin’s genius for comedic improvisation, which quickly surfaced in his studies at Juilliard, was matched by his deep understanding of the actor’s art and how to touch his audience in meaningful ways,” the presitgious performing arts conservatory said in a statement to ET Tuesday. “He was a generous supporter of the School’s drama students through the Robin Williams Scholarship, which supported the tuition cost of a drama student each year. His caring ways and effervescent personality will be missed by all who were touched by this special person.”
