Anna Daniels
If you’re among the legions of diehard fans devoted to The CW Network’s crackerjack high school sleuthing series, Veronica Mars, then you already know the show as a bit of a proving ground for a generation of up-and-coming actors. If not, you should know that, in its limited small-screen run, the cult hit saw the likes of Adam Scott, Aaron Paul, Tessa Thompson, Paul Rudd, Krysten Ritter, and many more pass through its narrative doors. Heck, even future Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan turned up on Veronica Mars for a five-episode arc.
Among those ranks stands Jessica Chastain, who made a one-and-done appearance in a memorable season 1 episode. The installment in question was titled “The Girl Next Door,” and found Chastain portraying a young, pregnant neighbor of Kristen Bell‘s titular teen detective. When Chastain’s character suddenly goes missing, Mars suspects foul play, and sets out to uncover the truth behind her neighbor’s disappearance. In doing so, she helps uncover another truth she never could’ve foreseen, which is sort of the modus operandi of every Veronica Mars episode and/or movie ever produced.
For the record, that’s hardly a criticism, as Veronica Mars remains one of the more intriguing small-screen confections ever to come from the The CW. As far as the series’ vaunted list of supporting players is concerned, few delivered the goods with quite the same verve as a then-all-but-unknown Jessica Chastain. Likewise, few have gone on to achieve quite the success of the now twice-Oscar-nominated actor.
Written by: Looper
