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, The Tree of Life, The Help, Take Shelter, Zero Dark Thirty, Mama, Interstellar, A Most Violent Year, The Martian, Miss Sloane, Molly’s Game, It Chapter Two, and The Good Nurse, the mini-series Scenes from a Marriage and George & Tammy, 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: 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