Jessica Chastain felt more than comfortable working with writer/director Ned Benson on their new movie The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby, because the filmmaker is her ex-boyfriend.

The famously private Zero Dark Thirty star reveals she remained friends with Benson long after their romantic relationship ended, and once she found fame with her breakthrough role in 2011's The Help, she wanted to do what she could to get his feature film debut to the big screen.

Chastain also helped her close pal, Teeth actress Jess Weixler, land a role in the film, too.

She explains, "I really believe in him and I met him because I won tickets to the Malibu Film Festival... and I saw a short film he did; I thought he was so talented.

"We became friends for four years, then we started a relationship and he'd written this film. The relationship ended, but I don't believe that love ends; I think it just kind of transforms, but never goes away, so, to be able to shine the spotlight that was on me, and say, 'Look at my friends', because also my best friend Jess Weixler plays my sister in the movie, and just to say, like, 'How incredible are these people?', it was a very emotional experience to make it."

Chastain's star power also attracted the likes of James McAvoy, Viola Davis and William Hurt to sign up for the drama, about a young couple whose marriage is rocked by a life-changing event.