'This has been handled with respect and love': Jessica Chastain reveals she's been cut from The Death And Life Of John F. Donovan by director
Jessica Chastain's role in The Death And Life Of John F. Donovan has been cut by director Xavier Dolan.
But the actress insisted it was done with the 'utmost respect and love.' On Sunday, the film's director revealed on Instagram that the star was removed due to a last minute editorial decision.
The 40-year-old actress filmed scenes as a journalist-turned-publisher named Moira, who exposes correspondence between protagonist John F. Donovan and a young boy, but Dolan decided that her scenes no longer went with the tone he wanted.
Cut! On Sunday, director Xavier Dolan announced on Instagram that Jessica Chastain was removed from The Death And Life Of John F. Donovan after wrapping all filming for her scenes
The film still boasts an impressive cast which includes Kit Harington, Natalie Portman, Susan Sarandon, Thandie Newton, Jacob Tremblay and Sir Michael Gambon.
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Dolan made a series of Instagram posts explaining why Chastain's character didn't make the final cut and wrote: 'What you need to hear from me is that Jessica Chastain's character, after what was a long period of reflection, had to be cut from the film.
'It was an extremely difficult decision to make. I feel, toward Jessica, a very sincere love, and a great admiration.
'The decision was editorial and narrative, in that it has nothing to do with a performance, and everything to do with a character and the compatibility of its story line.'
Bittersweet: The French-Canadian director posted his announcement in both English and French for all of his followers
The letter continued: 'This 'villain' subplot, albeit funny and entertaining, didn't feel like it belonged to the rest of the story, which ended up not being on heroes or their nemesis, but rather on childhood, and it's dreams. There is, in this film, a conversation on show business, yes, but it was in the family dynamics - and, once again, in mothers and sons relationships - that the heart of the film resided.
'Jessica has, since the very beginning, defended this project, and defended me on so many occasions. She is a terrific actress, a politically engaged artist, what is more, who relentlessly champions the cause she believes in.
'She is respected by her peers and beloved by her public. I am disappointed that we didn't get to reveal the exciting things we crafted together on this one adventure, but life is long, and missed opportunities almost always bode of even greater future collaborations [sic],' the letter concluded.
Long post: Dolan posted numerous images on Instagram that featured his open letter to the public and explained the decision behind Chastain's cut
'An extremely difficult decision': The French-speaking director wrote that he has 'a very sincere love and a great admiration' for the actress
'I am disappointed': Dolan further wrote that the red-haired beauty holds no resentment for his decision and that she had 'defended this project' as well as the director
'Not the news you were waiting for': The film's director expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to create the project and thanked fans for their support
Chastain shared Dolan's letter on her own social media account and assured fans that she respects Dolan's choice and the manner in which he informed her.
She wrote: 'Darlings there's some #johnfdonovan news. Don't worry, I was informed in advance of this letter. This has been handled with the upmost respect and love.
'@xavierdolan - I am always impressed with your true committment to telling a story. To be an artist in each moment, you move beyond past ideas and expectations. I love you dearly and look forward to our future collaborations in life and art [sic].'
Glamour girl: Chastain attended a Q&A for Molly's Game on Tuesday in Australia and wore a gorgeous blue gown
Chastain was in a more upbeat mood on Thursday when she tweeted about Lady Bird — a film she stars in — and used an emoji that didn't translate the way she expected it to.
The actress discussed the similarities between the film and her life, writing that she lost her virginity to Dave Matthews' Crash. Her tweet appeared with two drastically different emojis across phone providers and said the discrepancy made her 'look like a pervert.'
The red-haired starlet wrote: 'The shocked emoji is what I put in my tweet and is what I see when I go on my twitter,' she wrote in a lengthy post. 'A friend forwarded me an article that referred to it. The emoji is completely different!'
Questionable tweet? On Thursday, the Molly's Game actress wrote a tweet about Lady Bird and intended to use a shocked emoji but it translated as a drooling emoji on certain Androids
'Now I look like a pervert': After her surprised emoji inadvertently appeared as a drooling emoji, Chastain expressed embarrassment over the mix-up
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