Jessica Chastain Denies Jennifer Lawrence Rivalry, Wants “Women to Succeed”

Jessica Chastain has praised Jennifer Lawrence for speaking out about the gender pay-gap in Hollywood and standing up for women in the industry.

Last year the ‘Hunger Games’ actress wrote an op-ed for Lena Dunham‘s ‘Lenny Letter’ in which she insisted she should be paid the same as men and Jessica is proud of Jennifer for standing up for women in the industry.

She told Haute Living magazine this week:

“It was incredible. I loved her op-ed…and I was really disappointed after she wrote it that she got criticism.

Sometimes people have that attitude where, ‘You’re an actress making a lot of money, how dare you complain?’

We’ve kind of been programmed to be grateful that we’ve gotten this job, so don’t rock the boat. I don’t think that’s fair. Jennifer Lawrence coming out and saying that was really important.”

She also hit out at claims that she and Jennifer, who competed against each other for the Best Actress Oscar in 2013, were rivals, insisting that they support each other and see women succeed. The couple attempted to douse the rumours by posing for photos together at the 2014 Golden Globes (relic pictured below), but it hasn’t stopped the media continually saying the pair hate each other.

Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain at the 2014 Golden Globes.

Jessica said: “There has been a stigma out there that women don’t work well together. I’ve never seen women like this. I remember growing up hearing this myth, that women fight when they’re together and it’s completely inaccurate. I’ve never seen it.

I know also during Oscar season [people] were trying to fabricate a fake rivalry between Jennifer Lawrence and myself and I immediately came out and said this is a myth that has to stop. The women I know are not like this and I cheer for women to succeed because I know when an actress succeeds that means there’s going to be that many more roles for women because an audience is going to demand it.”