Jessica Chastain is adding “student” to her long list of roles. The 48-year-old Oscar-winning actress is pursuing a Master’s degree in public administration at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
During a Sept. 2 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Chastain opened up about her experience, calling the program “the sexiest degree ever.” She admitted her favorite class is quantitative methods, describing it as “like statistics,” and joked that she has a secret love for scatter graphs and bell curves — a far cry from her Juilliard days, where she studied acting.
Chastain told Fallon she still has two semesters left in the mid-career program and quipped that her ultimate goal after graduation is to “take over the world.” She also laughed about her unconventional campus experience, explaining that her “dorm” was the Charles Hotel and that “housekeeping” was her RA.
Though she’s still working toward her degree, Chastain was awarded an honorary doctorate from Juilliard in May 2024. Reflecting on her journey, she shared that she was the first in her family to attend college, crediting theater as her lifeline — a way to use her voice, feel seen, and break free from generational expectations.
