'I TRY TO SHOCK PEOPLE' JESSICA CHASTAIN

ON BECOMING A SOCIAL WORKER FOR HER NEW FILM ROLE AND WHY SHE PREFERS PLAYING FLAWED CHARACTERS

The life of Jessica Chastain seems impossibly glamorous. One of Hollywood's leading actresses, she's also married into Italian aristocracy.

But for her latest role, the Oscar winner prepared by working as a carer to understand her character.

"I really studied her and thought about her situation," she says. "I thought about the money she would make; where and how she lived. But it never felt like research.

"Working at the day centre, I was helping residents on and off the bus and making them lunch, so it felt like living the character rather than preparing for a role." Jessica's new film Memory tells the story of Sylvia, a social worker whose life is changed by meeting Saul (Peter Sarsgaard), who has early onset dementia, at a school reunion.

A friendship develops as alcoholic Sylvia tries to forget her past while Saul attempts to remember his.

"Memory is a very low-budget, independent film," Jessica says. "We had to do whatever we could to save money; I shopped for my wardrobe at Walmart and did my own hair.