Jessica Chastain highlighted the importance of female voices while being honored at the 38th Annual American Cinematheque Awards on Friday evening at the Beverly Hilton.

In her acceptance speech, Chastain detailed the struggles of her childhood. She was the first woman in her family without a teenage pregnancy as well as the first to graduate high school and attend college. Chastain studied at Julliard thanks to a scholarship funded by Robin Williams, who received the American Cinematheque Award in 1988.

“We existed on the margins of society, but theater became my lifeline,” Chastain said. “It was a way to feel seen, to use my voice and to break free from the expectations that have bound my family for generations. I became determined to escape the cycle.”

Chastain said when she entered the industry, most films centered around male-dominated perspectives and regulated female actors to reductive archetypes. The “Molly’s Game” star wanted to change this,...