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Jessica Chastain’s ideal — yet misguided — sequel idea for 2011’s The Help focuses on the evolution of her character and Octavia Spencer’s.
The actress gushed over her role as Celia Foote on a recent episode of Entertainment Weekly’s Awardist podcast. The character, a white woman in the 1960s Mississippi South, grew fond of her black maid, Minny Jackson, played by Spencer.
The Tate Taylor film highlighted the development of the duo’s relationship despite the intense racism surrounding them. Chastain believes the characters’ intertwined stories could make for a sequel she hopes to star in, reprising her role.
“You know who I think about all the time, and I just wish I could play her [again]? Celia Foote. I just want to do something, Celia and Minny, and see what happened,” Chastain said. “You know they ended up living together and raising the baby together. They were best friends. How amazing would that film be? I loved her, and I got to be a bit silly.”
The reality for many Black maids rarely reflected a “best friend” type of relationship with their white employers. Chastain’s view of Celia and Minny’s relationship romanticizes the “closeness” some Black domestic service workers may have had with the white families who paid them.
Celia was isolated from the other white women in her community and needed a friend in Minny. Meanwhile, the Black maid, who was often fired for her sharp mouth, needed to keep her job under Celia to support her family amid an abusive marriage.
The power dynamics between the two characters didn’t yield a “best friend” dynamic. It’s questionable whether the two would have ever been able to have one — even when considering a hypothetical sequel.
Chastain and Spencer were both nominated for the Best Supporting Actress award at the 2012 Oscars for their roles in The Help. Spencer ultimately took home the win.
In 2018, the Ma actress recalled how Chastain put herself out on a limb to ensure she was paid equally as a woman of color in Hollywood.
During a panel at the Sundance Film Festival, Spencer explained that the two actresses were set to star in a comedy together. The Alabama native broke down the harsh reality many women of color face in the industry while she and Chastain discussed pay equity. Once the latter was aware of the issue, she negotiated for Spencer’s salary to be five times its regular rate.
“I love that woman because she’s walking the walk, and she’s actually talking the talk. She said, ‘Octavia, we’re gonna get you paid on this film. You and I are gonna be tied together. We’re gonna be favored nations, and we’re gonna make the same thing.’ Fast forward to last week, we’re making five times what we asked for,” Spencer shared.
Read more about Spencer’s experience in Hollywood below.
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