Jessica Chastain
Chastain in 2012, photo by PR Photos
Birth Name: Jessica Michelle Chastain
Place of Birth: Sacramento, California, United States
Date of Birth: March 24, 1977
Ethnicity:
*mother – English, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, French, Dutch, German
*likely biological father – Basque, Castilian/Spanish, Greek, English, and German
Jessica Chastain is an American actress and producer. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021). Her roles also include the films Jolene, Stolen (2009), The Debt (2010), Take Shelter, Coriolanus, The Tree of Life, The Help, Wilde Salomé, Texas Killing Fields, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, Lawless, The Color of Time/Tar, Zero Dark Thirty, Mama (2013), The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Miss Julie (2014), Interstellar, A Most Violent Year, The Martian, Crimson Peak, The Huntsman: Winter’s War, Miss Sloane, I Am Jane Doe, The Zookeeper’s Wife, Molly’s Game, Woman Walks Ahead, Dark Phoenix, It Chapter Two, Ava (2020), The Forgiven (2021), The 355, Armageddon Time, The Good Nurse, Memory (2023), Mothers’ Instinct, and Dreams (2025); the series Law & Order: Trial by Jury, Blackbeard, Scenes from a Marriage, and George & Tammy; the VR experience Spheres: Songs of Spacetime; and many acclaimed stage performances. She has founded production company Freckle Films, and invested in soccer club Angel City FC.
She was raised by her mother, Jerri, and her stepfather, Michael Hastey, a firefighter. Her mother’s family is from Kansas. Jessica is married to Italian executive Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo, with whom she has two children. Gian Luca is from an Italian noble family from Bergamo.
The surname Chastain, her mother’s maiden name, is French.
Jessica’s maternal grandfather is Gary Douglas Chastain (the son of Bert Lowell/Lowel Chastain and Irene Treva Welch). Bert was the son of George Washington Chastain and Elva/Eva Evans. Irene was the daughter of Wilbur Gale Welch and Gussie Pearl Kennedy.
Jessica’s maternal grandmother is Marilyn Schoonover (the daughter of Alvin Dwight Schoonover and Mary Jane Adams). Alvin was the son of Joseph Jay Schoonover and Olive Josephine Adair. Mary Jane was the daughter of Charles/Charley Wesley Adams and Maude Elizabeth Toothaker.
Jessica’s biological father has been identified in some articles as Edward Michael Monasterio. If that is the case, then Jessica’s paternal grandfather was of three quarters Basque and one quarter Castilian [Spanish] descent, while Jessica’s paternal grandmother was of half Greek descent, with her other half being of British Isles/English, and some German, ancestry.
If Edward Michael Monasterio was Jessica’s biological father, then Jessica’s paternal grandfather is Edward Michael “Eddie” Monasterio (the son of Antonio “Tony” Monasterio Astoreca and Ramona/Romana Egurrola Basañez). Edward was born in California. Antonio and Ramona were emigrants from Spain, with Antonio being of Basque descent, and Ramona being of Basque and Castilian ancestry, making Jessica of three sixteenths Basque and one sixteenth Castilian ancestry. Antonio was from Gernika-Lumo, Biscay, the son of Juan Pedro Monasterio Sendagorta and Petra Astoreca Arrien. Ramona was from Bilbao, Biscay, the daughter of Antonio Egurrola Gandiaga, who was from Bilbao, and of Melitona Severina Basáñez Pereda, who was from Villasuso de Mena, Burgos.
If Edward Michael Monasterio was Jessica’s biological father, then Jessica’s paternal grandmother is Alice Ann Thomas (the daughter of Ernest John Thomas and Matilda Maude Cupp). Alice was born in Wyoming. Ernest was a Greek immigrant who had changed his surname from Anastasiou. Matilda was born in Kentucky, the daughter of Andrew Jesse/Jessie Cupp and Emyline/Emeline “Emily” Minnie “Mincy” Rutherford, and had British Isles/English, and some German, ancestry.
Jessica descends from Dr. Pierre Chastain, born c. 1659, in Chârost, Cher, Centre-Val de Loire, a French Huguenot immigrant who is the ancestor of likely millions of Americans, including professional football player Terry Bradshaw, actress Joan Crawford, and entertainer Chris Hardwick.
Sources: https://www.nydailynews.com
Genealogies of Jessica Chastain – https://www.geni.com
https://gw.geneanet.org
Obituary of Jessica’s paternal grandfather, Edward Michael “Eddie” Monasterio – https://familysearch.org
Jessica’s paternal grandmother, Alice Ann Thomas, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Jessica Chastain (focusing on her mother’s side) – https://www.wikitree.com
Jessica’s maternal great-grandmother, Irene Treva Welch, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Obituary of Jessica’s maternal great-grandmother, Irene Treva (Welch) Chastain – https://www.legacy.com
Genealogies of Jessica’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Wilbur Gale Welch and Gussie Pearl (Kennedy) Welch – https://www.findagrave.com
Genealogies of Jessica’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Joseph Jay Schoonover and Olive Josephine Adair – https://www.findagrave.com
Daily Mail article about Jessica’s biological father – http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Her profile should be changed from “likely biological father” to just “father”.
Chastain has never denied Monasterio as her biological father, but rather just rejects him due to his leaving her family when she was young: “No father is listed on my birth certificate”.
It is almost certain that he is her father, as her only confirmed, fully biological sister, who shares the same father as she has been reported to have made amends with Monasterio before her unfortunate passing.
Furthermore, Monasterio, on his social media accounts, addresses Chastain as his daughter and shares exclusive photos of her as a baby and child, alongside photos of him and his then-wife and Chastain’s mother.
Many like to point out that Monasterio cannot be Chastain’s father due to her ginger hair and pale skin; however, a photo shared by Monasterio that shows his mother holding baby Chastain reveals that Chastain’s paternal grandmother shares her ginger hair.
Family statements and Photos from Monasterios’ social media:
https://www.nydailynews.com/2013/02/24/estranged-biological-father-of-zero-dark-thirtys-jessica-chastain-died-earlier-this-month-source-said-star-had-no-plans-to-attend-memorial/
just curious, how can you be spanish descent and have blonde hair or strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes and pale skin? is it the other genetics that take over?
Many people in Spain have pale skin, blonde hair and light eyes, especially in the north of the country, which has the same climate as Britain.
Bullsh!t I live in Europe and they don’t look not even a little like Northern Europeans first at all they’re very short 160-165 cm the men and the new generations too they’re sized like children, half of them are black because their Arab root and these ones seems Hispanics and Indians also, the white are dark haired and eyed and the ones lighter are exceptions not so common and aren’t so pale and tall like the Anglos and the Germans they fake and feel to be if you come here in Europe you laugh a lot seeing how much they’re opposite.
We don’t talk about the French who are related to Northern Europeans but about the Spaniards who don’t have nothing in common, except something with the French, but in very short version and much less good looking.
Northern Spaniards have a part of the Southern French but they are mostly Berid they aren’t the lookalike of them, and no this place isn’t a second Uk not even as weather.
What are your sources to claim this dumbness?
Your fantasy? Another Hispanic dreaming to be Nordic…like Spaniards?
These types aren’t fully Spaniards but mixed to other races. Simply answer. Her Spanish side is little compared to the others so that’s why she doesn’t look Berid.
@cherrymochi These types aren’t fully Spaniards but mixed to other races. Simply answer. Her Spanish side is little compared to the others so that’s why she doesn’t look Berid.
very little.
@cherrymochi
Leaving aside that you and the users who have replied you are stupid, her mother is a ginger and she inherited such phenotype.