Jessica Chastain wins Best Actress Oscar, spotlights LGBTQ rights in speech

Jessica Chastain won Best Actress at the 2022 Oscars for her role as Tammy Faye Bakker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. This was her third nomination and first win.

Chastain used her speech to thank the Tammy Faye team, including its Oscar-winning hair and makeup team and her costar Andrew Garfield. In the spirit of Tammy Faye, she used the remainder of her speech to advocate for LGBTQ youth and suicide prevention.

"Right now we are coming out of some difficult times that have been filled with love, trauma, and isolation," Chastain said. "And so many people out there feel hopelessness, and they feel alone, and suicide is a leading cause of death in the U.S. It's touched many families. It's touched mine and especially members of the LGBT community, who often feel out of place with their peers."

"We're faced with discriminatory and bigoted legislation that is sweeping our country with the only goal of further dividing us," she continued "There is violence and hate crimes being perpetrated on innocent civilians all over the world. And in times like this, I think of Tammy, and I'm inspired by her radical acts of love... I'm inspired by her compassion and I see it as a guiding principle that helps us forward."

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"For any of you out there who do feel hopeless or alone, I just want you to know that you are unconditionally loved for the uniqueness that is you," she concluded.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye is now streaming on HBO Max.