Jessica Chastain’s TONY Awards Look Had An Unexpected Origin Story

Jessica Chastain seems to have a pretty firm grip on this whole TikTok thing — how else do you rack up nearly 13 million likes on the app while holding down the full-time job of movie star? Chastain’s profile is filled with the sorts of videos you wouldn’t necessarily expect from the current reigning Best Actress Oscar winner, including compilation edits of her most noteworthy characters, mini-interviews with her high-profile co-stars, and plenty of behind-the-scenes action on-set and beyond. To show off her look for the 2022 Tony Awards, it was revealed that Jessica Chastain’s side-parted waves and bold red lipstick at the event were actually devised as part of a popular TikTok challenge that works a little like beauty roulette.

The challenge requires the subject to randomly and sightlessly choose between different aesthetic options (think matte vs. shimmer, straight vs. curly) to arrive at a fully-finished look selected by fate. Trawl TikTok long enough and chances are you’ll see challenge results that vary from impossibly stunning to downright wacky — but, of course, Chastain’s own final product was more than red carpet-worthy. In a video reposted to Instagram, Chastain is seen swaddled in a robe, ready to be glammed ahead of her appearance at the Tonys.

Her hairstylist, Renato Campora, and makeup artist Matin Maulawizada stood behind her, holding up different signs to steer the direction of her look. Giggling and contemplative, Chastain unknowingly opts for a cat-eye, hair down with a curl, and bold lipstick — all set to Harry Styles’s “Music For a Sushi Restaurant.” A little bit of editing magic and several dreamy shots of Gucci compacts, lipsticks, and one Campora-wielded flat iron later, Chastain emerges ready to take on the night in her baby-pink gown.

Regardless of if Chastain’s TikTok was truly off-the-cuff or just a bit of fun while she got ready for the big event, it’s refreshing to see such a major star embrace some Internet-sourced irreverence. Plus, the video’s format allowed for plenty of quick glimpses into the preparation process — catch shots of Maulawizada cleaning up her eyeliner and lipstick lines with a cotton swab and the way Campora turns her velcro roller-wrapped hair inward for an Old Hollywood effect.

Next time you’re plotting a full head-to-toe look, consider taking the Chastain route and leaving it up to chance — look how flawlessly it turned out for her.