While in Madrid, Jessica took part of a meet & greet with fans, in a contest promoted by eCartelera Cine and eOne Films. Iker Huarte was the lucky one and told us his story on his website. He also gave us permission to translate and repost here, so, let’s all get envious together.

Who knows me would know a couple of things: I have lots of luck in the raffles and I love redheads. If both factors come together, few better results can lead to meet Jessica Chastain in person.

Seeing, touching, speaking and embracing one of the best actresses in the world has been an incredible experience. I won’t exaggerate if I say that, from two days earlier, when eCartelera told me that I had won the raffle to meet Jessica Chastain, I started to get nervous. The point is, if I had been asked what Hollywood celebrity I would like to meet in person, Chastain would have been my 3rd choice, probably, so it was an awesome encounter. Detaching Christian Bale and Emma Stone is not easy. Although now it is close to get it.

The encounter took place at the Hotel URSO, in Madrid, where we had to wait about an hour. Good things come to those who wait, there is no doubt. And I speak in the plural because I was given the opportunity to go with a companion. Since my friend Carlos, a faithful member of the #redheadlovers club doesn’t live in Madrid, I decided to take Teresa, who was the one who showed his envy more expressively when she found out that I had won the prize.

When we had calmed our nerves, Teresa saw behind me some sculptural legs coming down the stairs, followed by a tight green dress and a spectacular red hair. And we were dizzy for the next few minutes. The organizers put Jessica in a room, where some pictures were taken with the poster of Miss Sloane, the film that had come to be released in Spain, and then they called us both to present her to us.

“This is Iker, winner of one of the contests to meet you”. And Jessica Chastain holding out my hand as she says, “Oh, nice to meet you!” At that point, I no longer knew if I was still alive or already in Heaven. I said the first thing that came to my head: “I’m a journalist and I think you’ve been interviewed by colleagues all day, so I thank you for the effort, because I guess you’ll be pretty tired already”. I had to tell her one of this things: my profession, that I am from Navarre or that I am Batman, and the first one was the easiest. She, always with a smile in her mouth, said no, she was not tired and she put her hand in the air waiting for a high-five. And do you know those times that you’re going to clash your hand with a colleague and you’re not right? Well, it happened. I did a high-five FAIL with Jessica Chastain. Lucky we try again and there it is.

Then the organizer introduced Teresa, who, besides shaking her hand, asked her for a hug. And Jessica said the most sincere and sweet “Of course!” I’ve ever heard in my life. Afterwards, I guess she saw my face as “I want too” and asked if I wanted one too. I missed microseconds to throw myself into her arms.

Teresa, of course, praised her hair, to which she replied that she hated it when she was little, that she wanted to be normal, like the rest of the girls, but now she adores it. She was messing around her own hair while I looked ecstatic to be in front of the goddess of #redheadlovers. But she not only accepted the compliment, but also gave praise to the hairstyle of the Seville Fair brought by Teresa.

The photographer took pictures all the time, as seen in the gallery at the end of the post, but there was also a photocall moment in front of the movie poster. Seeing that the photos were of the three together, but that only I was next to the double Oscar nominee, I felt sorry for Teresa (standing by my side is also an honor, but I recognize that it isn’t the same) and I asked if we could have individual photos, to which Jessica agreed in time. Seriously, either she’s the most charming woman in the world or she’s the hell of an actress, because that simplicity and naturalness didn’t look fake at all.

After the photographic session, we said goodbye. With great sorrow, but we also had no right to ask for more. The meeting, which for all I have written and for what it made us feel, seems to last for hours, but it was scarce five minutes. The final handshake, the last glances and Miss Jessica Chastain was already our new best friend.

Later, drinking beers, we thought of the thousands of things we could have said or done differently, such as having given her a San Fermín handkerchief. I felt sad for not having asked if it’s true that his great-grandparents were born in the Basque Country. It was the perfect time to make my move and make her see that we were practically neighbors…

Thanks to eCartelera, for organizing the contest, and eOne Films (especially Carmen, who was the one who contacted me and was always at my disposal), the distributor who brought the actress to Spain. Too bad we could not relive those minutes over and over again, like in Groundhog Day.

And thank you, especially, Jessica Chastain. I guess you won’t read this post, but hey, launching thanks to the air is fashionable in the 2.0 environment. What a beautiful, charming, attractive and talented woman. God knows that, whenever I can, I’m going to tell everyone that I know you. Not by posturing, but by pride. I will change the story of the cruise I won in a contest and replace it with the day I met my new muse.

Thanks once again, Iker, for sharing the story with us. If you want to see more pictures, go ahead to his website.