Jessica Chastain reveals why it was ‘difficult’ working with Anne Hathaway on Mother’s Instinct

Jessica Chastain has revealed why it was “difficult” to work with her co-star Anne Hathaway on the set of their latest movie, Mother’s Instinct.

The psychological thriller, set in Sixties suburbia, follows Alice and Celine, two best friends and mothers, as a tragic accident leads to paranoia and guilt rapidly unravelling their bond.

Chastain, who previously worked with Hathaway on Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi movie Interstellar, unpacked the dynamic between them on set in an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.

The actor said it was “difficult” to work with the Princess Diaries star due to their previous relationship.

The pair consider each other close friends and Chastain said their closeness made the performance of enmity a challenge.

“It was more difficult to play friends who have conflict in the story, especially when you care about the person so much,” adding that she would “love to work with her where we don’t have an extreme conflict”.

Bafta and Emmy award-winning actor Hathaway praised Chastain for being “one of the greatest living actresses”, saying she considered Chastain a “darling friend”.

Chastain reiterated the closeness of their friendship, praising Hathaway’s performance. “She’s really incredible and can just switch on a dime,” she said.

“You see actresses who have to rev it up for a long time, but she’s not like that. She’s professional, and once cameras roll she is able to conjure up this depth of feeling.”

The actor, who won an Academy Award for her performance as televangelist Tammy Faye in the 2021 movie The Eyes of Tammy Faye,recently starred in the movie Memory, directed by Mexican filmmaker Michel Franco.

In The Independent’s three-star review of Memory, chief film critic Clarisse Loughrey said: “Chastain allows the grief of a lost girlhood to twist her body inwards, to keep it taut and perpetually on the defence.”

Hathaway and Chastain, who are both producers on the movie, also commented on the industry’s inclusivity in the interview.

“I’m hesitant to celebrate,” Hathaway said, while both acknowledged that some progress was being made towards more diverse and inclusive films being made.

Mother’s Instinct is released in cinemas on 27 March.