Jessica Chastain appreciates how excited fans are for the upcoming Netflix adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid's 2017 novel "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo." Unfortunately, she won't be starring in it.
Fans were eagerly hoping to see Chastain take on the role of Celia St. James in the highly anticipated Netflix film. But in a candid interview with E! News, the Oscar winner firmly closed the door on those possibilities, stating there's "zero chance" of her involvement.
This revelation likely comes as a letdown to the fans who had lobbied hard for Chastain's casting. The enthusiasm was so intense that supportive fans would wait outside her Broadway shows wielding copies of the book, hoping for an autograph or glance from the actress. She acknowledged the outpouring of support, saying she was very moved by how much it meant to people.
"I love how excited the fans are," the actress said, adding "When I was working on Broadway, every single day, they'd be outside, when I was signing, with the books. I just love how wonderful that fan base is."
The Oscar winner continued, "I look forward to watching it, and I'm sorry to disappoint everyone out there."
However, she politely declined to sign copies of the novel after Broadway performances as she did not want to sign books that she wasn't "attached to contractually" at the time.
"Because it feels wrong, and like I'm taking credit for someone else's work, I'll say I can't sign because I'm not doing it," Chastain explained of her decision.
"That doesn't mean I've read a bad script."
Despite the fact that she put rumors to rest regarding her potential casting, Chastain didn't expand upon why she'd be skipping out on the role.
Still, the movie's production will march forward, even without the actress on board. While there's still no release date to look forward to, at least fans can get down to sorting out who else they might like to see as Celia, since one potential option has been shut down. There are always other opportunities to see Chastain on the silver screen, after all.
