With the Oscars just around the corner, we're in the heat of awards season and The Hollywood Reporter is rolling out their lengthy roundtable discussion with the year's biggest contenders (well, some of them -- these interviews are filmed months in advance, so some of these ladies didn't ultimately land the nomination). The latest 1-hour talk focuses on female actors, and THR lined up one heck of a power squad with Jessica Chastain (Molly's Game), Jennifer Lawrence (mother!), Emma Stone (Battle of the Sexes), Mary J. Blige (Mudbound), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), and Allison Janney (I, Tonya).

The wide-ranging discussion naturally picks up with the state of the film industry and the Me Too/Times Up movements spawned in the wake of the wildfire allegations of sexual assault, abuse, and harassment throughout the entertainment industry. The ladies dive deep into the subject, talking about everything from the painful catharsis of the moment, the roots of gendered abuse in Hollywood history, what has to change, and what it means for the future of filmmaking. They also talked about pay equality and how they approach their salary in the wake of the Sony emails and why it's hard to find projects from female creators.

They also talked at length about the craft and their celebrated projects. Janney and Chastain trade notes on working with Aaron Sorkin, from Janney's definitive performance on The West Wing and why C.J. was the character that had the most impact on her life, to Chastain's experience on the female-centric Molly's Game. They also discuss the best acting advice they've ever received and a whole lot more. See what they had to say in the hour-long roundtable discussion below.

For more of the latest on how awards season is shaping up, check out the links below:

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Image via Neon
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Image via Netflix
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Image via A24