Jessica Chastain reveals Robin Wiliams gave her a Juilliard scholarship

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Jessica Chastain spoke out about her special bond with Robin Williams a day after the beloved actor was found dead in his Northern California home.

"Robin Williams changed my life," the Oscar-nominated actress shared on her WhoSay and Facebook accounts Tuesday. "He was a great actor and a generous person. Through a scholarship, he made it possible for me to graduate college. His generous spirit will forever inspire me to support others as he supported me. He will forever be missed."

The Zero Dark Thirty star previously addressed Williams' scholarship program in a feature for Interview magazine, where she was asked about the actor having something to do with her run at the acclaimed school for the performing arts.

"Yes. I'm the first person in my family to go to college. We didn't have a lot of money, and Juilliard is a pretty expensive school," she said at the time. "Robin Williams is a very generous Juilliard alumnus, and gives a scholarship every two years to a student, and it pays for everything, and I got it. I still haven't gotten to meet him."

After graduating from Juilliard with a BFA in drama in 2003 Chastain has gone on to star in critically acclaimed films like The Help, The Tree of Life and Zero Dark Thirty.

Juilliard, like many Hollywood A listers and President Barack Obama, issued a statement following the actor's death on Monday , stating they were "deeply saddened" by the news of his death.