Jessica Chastain Brings Grandma Marilyn as Oscars Date

USMagazine, Sunday, February 26, 2012, 4:15pm (PST)

Jessica Chastain is sharing her success with the people who knew her before she was famous.

The Help actress, 30, invited her grandma Marilyn to be her date at the 84th Annual Academy Awards in L.A. Sunday. "I am so proud," Marilyn told E! News' Ryan Seacrest. "You just cant' believe how big and tall I am right now."

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Chastain was a show stopper in a black and gold Alexander McQueen gown and Harry Winston jewels, while her grandma wore a design by Marina Rinaldi.

"She's a starlet now," a proud Chastain joked of her grandma, who hails from northern California.

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Chastain will face off against Berenice Bejo (The Artist), Octavia Spencer (The Help), Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) and Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs) in the best supporting actress category. The actress, who also appears in The Tree of Life with Brad Pitt, never imagined being nominated for an Academy Award.

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Just before the Armani Prive runway show at Paris Fashion Week, Chastain "went to turn my phone off and I had like 12 missed calls. As soon as I found out [about my nomination] and got the call from my agent, all of a sudden there were like 30 photographers in my face," the actress recalled. "Which I guess was great because it's documented forever now."

Chastain now cherishes the candid shots. "Not the most flattering," she admitted, "but genuine."

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