Jessica Chastain appeared on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” on Monday and provided a few updates on her Harvard education.
Earlier this summer, representatives for Chastain confirmed to the Globe that she’s pursuing a master’s in public administration at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. During Monday’s episode, Meyers asked the Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning actress how her classmates have reacted to her presence, and it sounds like things have gone smoothly so far.
“I mean, at the very first day there were some selfies,” she said. “It was sweet, but no one kind of said anything. No one made a big deal out of it.”
Chastain, whose new show “The Savant” debuts Sept. 26 on Apple TV+, went on to share “some fun moments” with the other students, including a story about a classmate who was seemingly unfamiliar with her big-screen career and inquired about her notable movie roles.
“She said, ‘You know, I’ve been told you’re an actress. I know you’re a very important actress.’ I was like, ‘Well, thanks,’” Chastain told Meyers, noting how the student asked if the star had been in any movies she might know. “And I go, ‘Well, do you like science fiction?’ She said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘I was in a movie called ‘Interstellar.’”
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“And she looked at me and she goes, ‘That’s my favorite movie!’” the actress added, joking that she might be “very unimpressive” in person when compared to her on-screen character.
Chastain also shared an anecdote about her classmates pulling a prank. Describing herself as “such a New Yorker that it’s actually funny,” Chastain told Meyers about a Boston-related practical joke they pulled with her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which she received earlier this month.
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“Three days later, a classmate from our cohort from school sent me a picture to the entire group of a Red Sox hat on my star,” Chastain said. “They went to my star and they put a Red Sox hat.”
“That’s shameful,” responded Meyers, a New Hampshire native and Red Sox fan.
Chastain previously spoke about her Harvard enrollment on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon‚” joking earlier this month that she’s studying so hard in order to “take over the world.” Earlier in her conversation with Meyers on Monday, the actress talked more about her educational goals.
“I’m not there to be a politician,” Chastain said. “I’m there to fight politicians.”
Ryan Yau can be reached at ryan.yau@globe.com.