Cate Blanchett Can't Stop Sayg 'Gay' This Perfect Vio

Contents:

• CATE BLANCHETT RPONDS TO MOURS SHE HAS A GAY PAST
• CATE BLANCHETT’S MATRO MOMENT TáRSHE LLS THE FILM THE MOST “ALL-NSUMG, LIFE-AFFIRMG” PROJECT SHE’S EVER BEEN A PART OF. SHE’S STILL UNPACKG THE IMPACT HAD ON HER—AND THE QUTNS SHE’S BEEN ASKED BEE OF .BY DAVID CANFIELDPHOTOGRAPHY BY ELIZAVETA PORODASTYLED BY STELLA GREENSPANFEBARY 13, 2023CATE BLANCHETT, PHOTOGRAPHED ON SEPTEMBER 5 NEW YORK. CLOTHG BY SIMONE ROCHA; SHO BY KHAE; STOCKGS BY VEX LATEX.PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZAVETA PORODINA. STYLED BY STELLA GREENSPAN.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETIME TENDS TO STAND STILL THE PRENCE OF CATE BLANCHETT. MART SRSE REALIZED AS MUCH AFTER SPOTTG HER 20 YEARS AGO AT THE GOLN GLOB. HE DIDN’T KNOW HER PERSONALLY, ONLY HER WORK. BUT AS HE WATCHED HER STRI ACROSS THE CROWD BALLROOM—HER FLORAL DRS AND STATEMENT NECKLACE SHIMMERG—HE HAD AN EPIPHANY. SRSE, WHO WAS VELOPG HIS NEXT FILM, THE AVIATOR, TURNED TO HIS WIFE, ONLY TO FD THAT SHE’D HAD THE EPIPHANY TOO. “WE BOTH LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND SAID, ‘KATHARE HEPBURN—THERE SHE IS,’ ” HE SAYS. A FEW YEARS LATER, ON THE SET OF TODD HAYN’S I’M NOT THERE, WHICH BLANCHETT PLAYED A RENEGA MID-60S VERSN OF BOB DYLAN, BCE GREENWOOD HAD HIS OWN MEMORABLE SIGHTG, THIS TIME A VERNO WAREHOE. IT HAD TO HAVE BEEN 50 OR 60 YARDS HIGH AND FOUR TIM AS LONG. HE WANRED THE DARK SPACE, A LTLE LOST, AND FOUND SOME CREW GATHERED AROUND A WHE LIGHT. HE SAW A STRIKG SILHOUETTE OF BLANCHETT, STUME AS DYLAN, CIGARETTE HAND. GREENWOOD CHED CLOSER AS IF ZOOMG ON AN INIC PHOTOGRAPH. “EVERYBODY WAS AS STILL AS SHE WAS, TRANSFIXED BY THE STILLNS THAT SHE CREATED,” HE SAYS. “AND THAT WAS MY TRODUCTN TO CATE BLANCHETT.”COAT BY DRI VAN NOTEN; NECKLAC BY LOUIS VUTON HIGH JEWELRY. HAIR PRODUCTS BY R+CO. MAKP PRODUCTS BY ARMANI BETY. NAIL ENAMEL BY JSOON. PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZAVETA PORODINA. STYLED BY STELLA GREENSPAN.TALK TO LLEAGU ABOUT BLANCHETT, AND YOU HEAR A LOT OF STORI LIKE THIS. “SHE’S LIKE THE RENAISSANCE PORTRAS, WHERE THE LIGHT OM SI,” SAYS ALEJANDRO G. IñáRRU, WHO DIRECTED HER 2006’S BABEL. DAVID HARE, WHO ST BLANCHETT A 1999 LONDON PRODUCTN OF HIS PLAY PLENTY, SAYS, “THERE IS NO POSSIBILY OF EVER BEG A ROOM WHOUT KNOWG IF CATE BLANCHETT IS .” I MEET BLANCHETT FOR LUNCH ON A BRISK JANUARY AFTERNOON BEVERLY HILLS. WE’D PREVLY SAID HELLO AT DTRY EVENTS AS SHE MA THE GLOBAL ROUNDS FOR HER ACCLAIMED OSR NTENR, TáR. (IT’S SCE BEEN NOMATED FOR SIX OSRS, CLUDG BT PICTURE AND BT ACTRS FOR BLANCHETT.) BUT HERE—SETTLG TO A RNER BOOTH, REMOVG HER HOT PK SPECTACL AND ADJTG A GRAY SRF—HER EFFECT IS PARTICULARLY VIVID. AROUND , A FEW DERS’ FAC ANGLE TOWARD OUR TABLE. SHE DON’T SEEM TO NOTICE; ’S A SUATN, NO DOUBT, SHE’S GOTTEN ED TO.BLANCHETT HAD TO LEARN HOW TO NDUCT, TO MASTER THE PIANO, TO SPEAK GERMAN: “I WAS UTTERLY TERRIFIED OF . BUT BEE THERE WAS SO MUCH TO DO, MEANT THAT THERE WASN’T ANY TIME FOR NERV.”BLANCHETT HAS ANOTHER SCREENG OF TáR LATER TONIGHT, SHE TELLS ME AS WE GET GOG. WELL, A SCREENG OR SOMETHG ELSE—’S HARD TO KEEP TRACK. IN THE FILM, SHE PLAYS A REVERED ORCHTRA NDUCTOR FACG A PUBLIC RECKONG. BLANCHETT HAS PROMOTED TIRELSLY SCE S PREMIERE AT THE VENICE FILM FTIVAL SEPTEMBER, WHICH IS NOT TYPIL OF AN ACTOR OF HER STAT, WH TWO OSRS TO HER NAME AND A PROFILE HARDLY AT RISK OF CLG. BUT SHE LOV THIS MOVIE. SHE WORKED VERY HARD ON , AND SHE’S PELLED BY S THORNY, PRCIENT PROVOTNS. ON OPENG NIGHT OCTOBER, I JOED HER FOR A PUBLIC Q&A AT THE AMC CENTURY CY, LOS ANGEL, AND WHEN I ASKED HOW SHE FELT ABOUT THE TRICKY ENDG, SHE THREW THE TOPIC TO THE DIENCE AN STANT, ENGAGG WH AND VALIDATG DIVERGG THEORI. SHE ULDN’T STOP SG THROUGH ALL. I IALLY TOOK THIS AS PURE ACTORLY ENTHIASM; THE LONG-GTATG TáR HAD FALLY BEEN RELEASED, AND PEOPLE HAD STRONG OPNS. BUT SPEAKG WH HER THREE MONTHS LATER, ’S OBV SHE’S HAD HER OWN CH TO SCRATCH, AN UNCERTATY YET TO MORPH TO CLARY. “I FOUND TáR THE MOST ALL-NSUMG, NONTG, JOYO, LIFE-AFFIRMG ENAVOR THAT I’VE EVER BEEN VOLVED ,” BLANCHETT SAYS. “I DON’T KNOW WHAT EXACTLY IS, BUT I KNOW ’S SOMETHG. SO I WANT PEOPLE TO TELL ME WHAT IS BEE I’M STILL FIGURG OUT FOR MYSELF.”TáR WAS WRTEN AND DIRECTED BY TODD FIELD, THE OSR-NOMATED FILMMAKER OF IN THE BEDROOM AND LTLE CHILDREN. IT’S HIS FIRST MOVIE 16 YEARS, A FACT HE ATTRIBUT AT LEAST PARTIALLY TO STGGL WH FANCG. ONE PROJECT, A SCRIPT HE’D BEEN LLABORATG ON WH JOAN DIDN, BROUGHT HIM TO BLANCHETT’S ORB A AGO. FIELD FOUND HER UNFETTABLE EVEN AFTER A SGLE DNER. “SHE HAS JT THE MOST TENSE W,” HE SAYS. “SHE WILL N RGS AROUND ANYONE.” HE’D BEGUN THKG ABOUT TáR AROUND THE SAME TIME, AND YEARS LATER, WHEN HE RECEIVED THE GREENLIGHT OM FOC FEATUR, BLANCHETT POPPED TO HIS HEAD ONCE MORE. HE DIDN’T WRE TáR WH HER MD; HE WROTE  FOR HER, AND ONLY HER. BLANCHETT SAID Y IMMEDIATELY AFTER READG THE SCRIPT. DUE TO COVID-DUCED LAYS, SHE HAD MONTHS TO PREPARE—TO LEARN HOW TO NDUCT, TO MASTER THE PIANO, TO SPEAK GERMAN. (THE FILM IS SET BERL AND WAS LARGELY SHOT THERE.) “I WAS UTTERLY TERRIFIED OF . I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE TO START AND SO I HAD TO JT START AN CREDIBLY PRACTIL WAY,” SHE SAYS. “BUT BEE THERE WAS SO MUCH TO DO, MEANT THAT THERE WASN’T ANY TIME FOR NERV.”THE THENTICY OF THE FAL PERFORMANCE IS ASTOUNDG. FIELD HAD TAPPED THE DRN PHILHARMONIC TO STAND FOR LYDIA TáR’S FICTNAL ORCHTRA, AND THEY WERE ONLY AVAILABLE AT THE VERY START OF PRODUCTN, MEANG THAT BLANCHETT NEED TO JUMP TO THE EP END FAST. FIELD HAD SEEN HER REHEARSE; HE KNEW SHE WAS READY, BUT EVEN SO SHE FULLY UPEND HIS EXPECTATNS. “SHE SHOWS UP ON A SET, SHE WANTS TO EXPERIMENT, SHE WANTS TO BE PHED—SHE WANTS YOU TO ASK HER TO DO THGS THAT ARE 180 GRE OM WHAT ANYONE WOULD THK SHE WOULD POSSIBLY DO A MOMENT ONSCREEN,” HE SAYS. “HOW FAR N I PH HER OUT ONTO A TIGHT WIRE WH NO ? IT’S ONE THG TO BE ABLE TO GET ACROSS. IT’S QUE ANOTHER TO DANCE ON OR STAND ON YOUR HEAD.”TáR IS AN EXTRAORDARILY AMB WOMAN. SHE HAS ASCEND TO THE TOP OF HER FIELD, HONED HER CRAFT TO A PLACE BEYOND PERFECTN. AS SHE OBSS OVER AN UPG LIVE RERDG OF HER WHE WHALE, MAHLER’S FIFTH, SHE ARROGANTLY SQUASH ANYTHG THAT ULD GET HER WAY. YET SHE IS EPLY HNTED—BY HER AB OF POWER THAT WENT TANM WH HER RISE, FOR ONE THG, BUT ALSO BY AGG AND WONRG WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU NONT YOUR WHE WHALE. BLANCHETT’S EMBODIMENT FEELS CELLULAR. SHE ACKNOWLEDG SOMETHG “HAPPENED” DURG FILMG. SHE KEEPS GETTG TRIPPED UP BY MY QUTNS ABOUT THIS. SHE’S NOT BEG EVASIVE; ON THE NTRARY, SHE’S WILDLY CUR, GIVG LONG AND THOUGHTFUL ANSWERS. SHE’LL STOP HERSELF OFTEN: “SORRY, I N’T REMEMBER, WHAT WERE YOU ASKG ME?”SHE LLS THE ROLE “SKLS” AT ONE POT, THE BT CLUE SHE’LL PROVI TO THIS TENSE NNECTN BETWEEN THE PORTRAYER AND THE PORTRAYED. SO WHAT DO AMBN MEAN TO BLANCHETT? “IT’S SOMETHG THAT TRADNALLY IS SEEN AS BEG AN UNATTRACTIVE THG FOR A WOMAN TO HOLD,” SHE REPLI QUICKLY. “IT’S SYNONYMO WH BEG THLS.” THEN SHE TURNS THE QUIRY ON HERSELF—“I LOOK AT THE THGS THAT I CHOOSE TO TAKE ON AS AMB, AND THAT ALWAYS NTAS A VERY STRONG POSSIBILY OF MONUMENTAL, TASTROPHIC FAILURE”—BEFORE CHEWG ON A LTLE MORE. “I DON’T KNOW IF I’M AN AMB PERSON OR A RTLS PERSON.” SHE SQUTS AT ME AND GRS. “IT’S A VERY HARD QUTN, DR. FRD.” SWIMSU BY DILARA FDIKOGLU; GOWN BY AE STUDS; BAG BY SIMONE ROCHA. PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZAVETA PORODINA. STYLED BY STELLA GREENSPAN.ONSCREEN, BLANCHETT ALWAYS HOLDS YOUR ATTENTN LIKE THERE’S NOTHG ELSE TO SEE: THOSE FEROC MONOLOGU  ELIZABETH AND BLUE JASME THAT MAND PLETE SILENCE. THE IMMACULATE GLAMOUR  CAROL AND NIGHTMARE ALLEY, MASKG WOMEN OF CREDIBLE FORCE. THE GENLY SCREWBALL TAKE ON, Y, KATHARE HEPBURN  THE AVIATOR, FOR WHICH SHE WON HER FIRST OF TWO OSRS (THE SEND BEG FOR BLUE JASME). EVEN NOISY BLOCKBTERS—THE LORD OF THE RGS TRILOGY, THOR: RAGNAROK, ROB HOOD—SHE PULLS OFF UNUAL PERFORMANC. SRSE NOTICED THIS OM THE MOMENT HE BEME AWARE OF HER WH 2000’S THE GIFT. “FROM MOVIE TO MOVIE, SHE WAS EXTRAORDARILY PRECISE ABOUT CHARACTER, PHYSILLY, VOLLY, EMOTNALLY,” HE SAYS. “SHE HAD A KD OF MAGIC THAT HARKED BACK TO AN EARLIER ERA MOVI.” FROM ATTENDG DRAMA SCHOOL HER NATIVE ATRALIA TO HER HOLLYWOOD BREAKOUT  ELIZABETH TO HER SUCCS SCE, BLANCHETT HAS MANAGED A PROLIFIC AND VARIED FILMOGRAPHY WHILE RAISG FOUR CHILDREN WH HER HBAND OF 25 YEARS, THE THEATER-WORLD VETERAN ANDREW UPTON. FOR EVERY AWARDS-BOUND PRTIGE MOVIE, THERE’S A PAYCHECK-LIVERG TENTPOLE, OR PERHAPS AN EXPERIMENTAL ASIE PROJECT. (FEW HOLLYWOOD ACTORS KNOW THE TERNATNAL CEMA SCENE BETTER.) IN PERSON, BLANCHETT RRI ALL A WAY THAT SWIFTLY PUTS YOU AT EASE. “SHE HAS THAT ATRALIAN THG THAT’S JT LIKE, GET THE TRENCH, DO THE WORK, DON’T MAKE HARD FOR ANYONE ELSE,” SAYS MELANIE LYNSKEY, A NEW ZEALANR, WHO ACTED OPPOSE BLANCHETT  MRS. AMERI AND DON’T LOOK UP. “WE DON’T REALLY LET EACH OTHER GET TOO FULL OF OURSELV. IT’S PART OF THE NATNAL PSYCHE.” SHE’S ALSO FUNNY—LIKE, WEIRD FUNNY. MULTIPLE LLABORATORS SCRIBE FALLG TO “GIGGLE FS” WH BLANCHETT. “I’VE NEVER KNOWN ANYTHG LIKE —I’VE NEVER GIGGLED SO MUCH,” LYNSKEY SAYS. ON TáR, “WE HAD TO STOP AND SHUT DOWN FOR 15 MUT BEE WE WERE HAVG FS TOGETHER,” FIELD SAYS. BLANCHETT CERTALY KNOWS HOW TO BREAK THE ICE WH HER DIRECTORS. “I ONCE SAID, ‘I DON’T KNOW IF WE’VE GOT TIME TO DO 15 OR 20 TAK WH YOU, CATE,’ AND SHE’D BE LIKE, ‘OH, ’S HARD ENOUGH REMEMBERG THE RIDICULO L ABOUT ASGARDIAN MYTHOLOGY, I THK I’LL GIVE YOU ABOUT THREE GOOD TAK,’ ” SAYS TAIKA WAI, WHO TURNED BLANCHETT TO A LIC SUPERVILLA FOR THOR: RAGNAROK. “SHE’S GOT A REALLY WICKED SENSE OF HUMOR, AND ’S VERY FAST. BUT I NEVER FELT NSCEND TO. I NEVER FELT UNRMED BEE SHE HAD MORE EXPERIENCE WH BIGGER DIRECTORS.”I FEEL THIS TOO—SHE ASKS ABOUT MY FAY, MY UPBRGG, MY FAVORE MOVI, GOG WELL BEYOND THE ROTE SMALL TALK BETWEEN JOURNALIST AND CELEBRY. IT’S SURPRISG THAT SHE SHOWS UP ON SET THE SAME FASHN, KNOWG HOW MUCH SHE PUTS TO HER WORK. IN FACT, THIS MAY EXPLA WHY SHE HAS THOUGHT ABOUT QUTG ACTG ALTOGETHER. IT N BEE TOO MUCH. (ONCE, WHEN JULIA ROBERTS WAS TALKG TO HER FOR INTERVIEW MAGAZE, BLANCHETT SAID, “WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I WOULD WONR WHY THE OLR ACTORS I ADMIRED KEPT TALKG ABOUT QUTG. NOW I REALIZE ’S BEE THEY WANT TO MATA A NNECTN TO THE LAST SHREDS OF THEIR SANY.”) I ASSUME THIS IS A MERELY OCSNAL FEELG. “IT’S NOT OCSNAL—’S NTUAL,” BLANCHETT SAYS. “ON A DAILY OR WEEKLY BASIS, FOR SURE. IT’S A LOVE AFFAIR, ISN’T ? SO YOU DO FALL AND OUT OF LOVE WH , AND YOU HAVE TO BE SCED BACK TO .” AFTER FISHG TáR, FIELD SUGGTED TO BLANCHETT THAT SHE TAKE AN ACTG BREAK. SHE DID NOT. ALFONSO CUARóN HAD OFFERED HER THE LEAD HIS UPG APPLE TV+ SERI—“YOU HAVE TO ANSWER THAT LL,” SHE SAYS—AND SHE RECENTLY PRODUCED AND STARRED AN ATRALIAN FILM, ABOUT AN INDIGENO ORPHAN WHO ARRIV AT A REMOTE MONASTERY, THAT TOOK YEARS TO GET OFF THE GROUND. AND TáR STILL LIV. BLANCHETT HAS BEEN FEATURED CHARACTER ON A NCEPT ALBUM, WHICH IS NOW AVAILABLE ON VYL, NTAG EXCERPTS OM THE FILM AS WELL AS ORIGAL MIC BY POSER HILDUR GUðNADóTTIR. THEN THERE’S FIELD’S ANTICIPATED SHORT FILM THAT EXPANDS ON THE “TáR UNIVERSE,” PREMIERG AT FEBARY’S BERL INTERNATNAL FILM FTIVAL. EVEN NOW, “TODD AND I ARE ON THE PHONE THREE, FOUR, FIVE TIM A DAY, EVERY DAY,” BLANCHETT SAYS. THE MEM TREATG LYDIA TáR AS AN ACTUAL PERSON ARE, SOME WAYS, REAL FOR BLANCHETT. SHE N’T SEEM TO LET HER GO.BLANCHETT REMEMBERS FIELD’S SUGGTN: “HE SAID ‘DON’T WORK FOR A WHILE,’ AND I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE ADVICE.” SHE FALLY HAS. “I JT SAID NO TO A UPLE OF THGS. I THK ’S TIME TO BE QUIET.”BLANCHETT LLS THE ROLE OF LYDIA TÁR “SKLS.” COAT BY RICHARD QUN.PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZAVETA PORODINA. STYLED BY STELLA GREENSPAN.SWIMSU BY DILARA FDIKOGLU; GOWN BY AE STUDS.PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZAVETA PORODINA. STYLED BY STELLA GREENSPAN.BLANCHETT SWEARS SHE IS NOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, NOT EVEN UNR AN ALIAS, SO SHE NEEDS TO BE UGHT UP A LTLE. I TELL HER THAT THERE’S AN INSTAGRAM ACUNT LLED @DYKEBLANCHETT THAT HAS MORE THAN 50,000 FOLLOWERS. BLANCHETT CHEERS: “OH, GOOD!” THEN SHE THKS FOR A MOMENT: “ONLY 50,000?” HEY, ’S JT A FAN ACUNT.BETWEEN I’M NOT THERE, CAROL, AND NOW TáR—LYDIA LLS HERSELF A “U-HL LBIAN,” RAISG A CHILD WH HER PARTNER, THE ORCHTRA’S NCERTMASTER, SHARON (NA HOSS)—BLANCHETT HAS AMASSED A SIZABLE QUEER FOLLOWG. RELL THE QUEER EDIAN HANNAH GADSBY JOKG ABOUT BLANCHETT “HOGGG ALL THE MOODY LBIAN ROL.” BLANCHETT IS AWARE OF THIS PARTICULAR FANDOM, PECIALLY AS CAROL HAS VELOPED TO A GAY CHRISTMAS CLASSIC SCE S 2015 RELEASE. HER BEG THE FACE OF S LEGACY IS UNNIABLE. AS TODD HAYN, WHO DIRECTED CAROL, PUTS FOR ME, “YOU THK OF THE FILM, YOU THK OF THE TLE—AND THE EXTRAORDARY IMAG OF CATE BLANCHETT.”BLANCHETT HAS SAID THAT, THE S OF BOTH CAROL AND TáR, SHE “DIDN’T THK ABOUT” THE FACT THAT SHE WAS PLAYG A GAY WOMAN. YET AT THE TIME TáR WAS NCEIVED, FEW WOMEN HAD LED MAJOR ORCHTRAS, LET ALONE GAY WOMEN; LYDIA OCCUPYG THIS POSN IMPLI A SEISMIC CULTURAL BREAKTHROUGH. HER STORY REMBL THAT OF MAR ALSOP, THE CHIEF NDUCTOR OF THE ORF VIENNA RAD SYMPHONY ORCHTRA, WHO, LIKE LYDIA, IS A LBIAN AND WAS MENTORED BY LEONARD BERNSTE. (THOUGH THERE MAY BE SOME REASON TO DOUBT THAT LATTER TAIL LYDIA’S BGRAPHY.) ALSOP ACKNOWLEDGED THE “SUPERFICIAL” SIARI WHILE CRICIZG THE FILM’S DARK CHARACTER STUDY JANUARY, TELLG THE BRISH TIM, “TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNY TO PORTRAY A WOMAN THAT ROLE AND TO MAKE HER AN ABER—FOR ME, THAT WAS HEARTBREAKG.”“I DON’T THK ABOUT MY GENR OR MY SEXUALY,” SHE SAYS OF HER APPROACH TO ACTG. “FOR ME SCHOOL, WAS DAVID BOWIE, WAS ANNIE LENNOX. THERE’S ALWAYS BEEN THAT SORT OF GENR FLUIDY.” BLANCHETT HAS SAID SHE DREW OM VAR ARTISTS AND MICIANS CREATG TáR, AND TELLS ME THE CHARACTER IS TOTALLY FICT—“A FANTASY.” HOW MUCH DID SHE FACTOR THAT SHE’D BE PLAYG A QUEER PERSON WHO FIED THE ODDS, ONLY TO BE RPTED BY POWER? “I DON’T THK ABOUT MY GENR OR MY SEXUALY,” SHE SAYS. “FOR ME SCHOOL, WAS DAVID BOWIE, WAS ANNIE LENNOX. THERE’S ALWAYS BEEN THAT SORT OF GENR FLUIDY.” THIS ECHO THE 2015 VIO STALLATN MANIFTO, WHICH SHE ADOPTED 13 DISTCTIVE PERSONAS WHILE LIVERG PIEC OF FAMO POLEMIL SPEECH, AS WELL AS HER BOB DYLAN  I’M NOT THERE. BUT I PRS HER ON THIS A B, AND SHE ADMS TO FEELG PERPLEXED BY THE VERY NOTN OF HAVG TO THK ABOUT STEPPG TO AN INTY OUTSI OF HER OWN: “I HAVE TO REALLY LISTEN VERY HARD WHEN PEOPLE HAVE AN ISSUE WH . I JT DON’T UNRSTAND THE LANGUAGE THEY’RE SPEAKG, AND I NEED TO UNRSTAND BEE YOU N’T DISMISS THE OBSSN WH THOSE LABELS—BEHD THE OBSSN IS SOMETHG REALLY IMPORTANT. BUT PERSONALLY I’VE NEVER HAD .”A CCIAL EARLY SCENE  TáR, FILMED ONE VIRTUOSIC TAKE, FDS LYDIA A HEATED ARGUMENT WH HER STUNT AT JUILLIARD OVER SEPARATG THE ART OM THE ARTIST, THE CREATIVE VALUE OF DIVERSY, AND THE CHANGG OF THE NONIL GUARDS. THE STUNT QUTN INTIFI AS A “BIPOC PAN-GENR PERSON,” WHICH VISIBLY RANKL LYDIA. SHE BERAT HIM UNTIL HE LLS HER A BCH AND STORMS OUT. “THAT’S WHAT TODD DO—THERE ARE NO ANSWERS TO THE THGS, BUT THE NVERSATN’S REALLY IMPORTANT,” BLANCHETT SAYS. SHE NSIRS CAROL: “IF WAS MA NOW, ME NOT BEG GAY—WOULD I BE GIVEN PUBLIC PERMISSN TO PLAY THAT ROLE?” I ASK IF SHE THKS SHE SHOULD BE. “I DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT,” SHE SAYS.THE TOPIC CLEARLY WEIGHS ON BLANCHETT, AS SHE UNRSTANDS THE SENSIVY AROUND —AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SAYG THE WRONG THG. “IF YOU AND I WERE HAVG A NVERSATN [25 YEARS AGO], WOULD BE YOUR PUBLITN AND THAT WAS ,” SHE SAYS. “NOW, SOMEHOW ’S LIKE THE OPNS GET PUBLISHED, AND SRLETT JOHANSSON DON’T PLAY A ROLE THAT MAYBE SHE WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO ULD PLAY .” (THIS LIKELY REFERS TO JOHANSSON, AFTER BACKLASH, EXG A PROJECT WHICH SHE WAS TO PLAY A TRANSGENR MAN.) SHE ADDS, “I DON’T WANT TO OFFEND ANYBODY. I DON’T WANT TO SPEAK FOR ANYBODY ELSE.”“SHE HAD A KD OF MAGIC THAT HARKED BACK TO AN EARLIER ERA MOVI,” SAYS MART SRSE. PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZAVETA PORODINA. STYLED BY STELLA GREENSPAN.CLOTHG BY GNTLETT CHENG; SHO BY JIMMY CHOO; STOCKGS BY VEX LATEX. THROUGHOUT: HAIR PRODUCTS BY R+CO; MAKP PRODUCTS BY ARMANI BETY; NAIL ENAMEL BY JSOON.PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZAVETA PORODINA. STYLED BY STELLA GREENSPAN.NAVIGATG THE BAT WH THE TERRORY OF AN OSR MPAIGN. BLANCHETT IS A STRONG NTENR FOR THIS YEAR’S AMY AWARD, AND IF SHE WS, SHE’LL JO MERYL STREEP, INGRID BERGMAN, AND FRANC MCDORMAND AS THE ONLY WOMEN TO HAVE WON THREE ACTG OSRS. (KATHARE HEPBURN, NATURALLY, HOLDS THE RERD AT FOUR.) TIM HAVE CHANGED SO FAST THAT NONE OF THOSE STARS HAD TO ANSWER QUTNS LIKE THE ON THE TRAIL. NOR DID THEY GO ON HOT ON, THE POPULAR WEB TALK SHOW, AND EAT SPICY CHICKEN UNTIL THEY CRIED WHILE PROMOTG THEIR MOVIE. THAT SAID, “I ASKED TO BE ON HOT ON,” BLANCHETT SAYS. “I’VE BEEN WANTG TO GO ON HOT ON FOR YEARS.”BUT MUCH OF THE MECHANICS OF AWARDS SEASON FEEL TRATGLY FAIAR TO BLANCHETT. “PART OF ME WAS REALLY HOPG THAT, OUT OF THE PANMIC, SO MANY THGS WERE GOG TO BE DONE DIFFERENTLY,” SHE SAYS. “WHY DON’T WE HAVE A MATRIARCHAL STCTURE, WHICH…ALL THE THGS ARE DIALOGUE WH ONE ANOTHER RATHER THAN BEG A HORSE RACE? BUT OF URSE THERE’S A LOT OF VTED TERT CREATG THE DRAMA AROUND THE DRAMA.” SHE REMEMBERS HTG THE OSRS CIRCU FOR THE FIRST TIME 1998, FOR ELIZABETH, WHICH TRACED THE EARLY YEARS OF QUEEN ELIZABETH I’S REIGN. BLANCHETT WAS A NEWLYWED WHO’D MA THAT HISTORIL DRAMA ONLY A YEAR EARLIER. SHE WENT OM VENICE TO TORONTO TO ALL OF THE UAL PLAC OSR NTENRS HAVE GONE FOR S. “IT WAS LERALLY LIKE I WAS DROPPED ON MARS,” BLANCHETT SAYS. “I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT ANYTHG WAS. I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THE ROUNDTABL WERE OR WHAT PANEL NVERSATNS WERE—OR ANYTHG AT ALL.” SHE DON’T MD ANSWERG TOUGH QUTNS, BUT SHE ANSWERS THEM HER OWN WAY, HER OWN TIME. WHEN I ASK HER ABOUT TáR’S DISAPPOTG BOX OFFICE, FOR STANCE, SHE KEEPS TALKG ABOUT SHEEP’S K. “WE WERE TASMANIA RECENTLY, AND WE WENT TO THIS, LIKE, VODKA VEYARD, AND WAS MA OM SHEEP’S WHEY,” SHE SAYS. “AND THEY HAD FFEE WH SHEEP K AND WAS REALLY LIC!” I PLAY ALONG, TELLG HER I GREW UP PARTLY NEW ZEALAND; SHE YELPS, “SPEAKG OF SHEEP!” WE LGH. OUR SERVER RETURNS TO LIVER OUR DRKS AND BLANCHETT TRI TO KEEP THE B GOG, AS A FEW EY AROUND THE DG ROOM SHIFT BACK OUR DIRECTN. “CAN I ASK, DO YOU HAVE SHEEP’S K BY ANY CHANCE?” THE SERVER CHECKS AND EVENTUALLY REVEALS THEY DO NOT, FACT, HAVE SHEEP’S K. BLANCHETT ASSUR HER, “I’M TOTALLY FE WH W.”SO ANYWAY: BOX OFFICE. TáR HAS MA LS THAN $7 LN DOMTILLY AS OF THIS WRG, ABOUT HALF OF WHAT CAROL—WHICH WAS PRODUCED ON A MUCH SMALLER BUDGET—PULLED . BLANCHETT WAV HER HAND FENSE. “I DON’T KNOW,” SHE SAYS OF MY AMG. “PEOPLE SAID THAT, BUT HAD SUCH A LIMED RELEASE.” SHE’S RIGHT THAT OPENED CENTLY ON THE HANDFUL OF NEW YORK AND LA SCREENS WHERE IALLY H THEATERS. BUT THE FACT IS THAT VIRTUALLY EVERY ART HOE RELEASE 2022 HAS MET A ACTN OF THE THEATRIL DIENCE THAT MOVI LIKE WOULD’VE FOUND PRE-PANMIC. A ACTN, OTHER WORDS, OF WHAT MOVI LIKE ELIZABETH AND THE AVIATOR AND BLUE JASME NEED—MOVI THAT AMB (OR RTLS, PENDG ON YOUR PERCEPTN) ACTORS LIKE BLANCHETT HAVE BUILT THEIR REERS WH, MOVI THAT STUDS JTIFIED WH THE PROMISE OF REACHG A SPECIFIC KD OF DIENCE.“SHE HAS JT THE MOST TENSE W,” SAYS TODD FIELD. “SHE WILL N RGS AROUND ANYONE.”I WONR ALOUD IF THIS SR BLANCHETT. “BEG SRED OF THGS IS SOMETIM AN IMPORTANT PART OF THEM—GIRDG YOUR LOS TO WORK OUT WHAT YOU’RE GOG TO DO ABOUT ,” SHE SAYS. “I FD NCERNG FOR SURE.” SHE ADMS HER AGGRSIVE PROMOTN OF TáR IS PARTLY BEE THE FILM LIVERS A RICHLY CEMATIC EXPERIENCE, OM S SOUND SIGN TO S REFUL CEMATOGRAPHY, AND SHE WANTS PEOPLE TO SEE A MOVIE THEATER: “THE OPPORTUNY TO BE SEEN BY PEOPLE THE CEMAS—THOSE WDOWS ARE CLOSG UP. THEY ARE.”BUT BLANCHETT ALSO TALKS ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE LOVG TáR MORE THAN SHE EVER EXPECTED; ABOUT DISVERG ONE OF HER FAVORE REPERTORY CEMAS, ROW HOE, PTSBURGH; AND ABOUT THE BETY OF STILL BEG ABLE TO SEE LAWRENCE OF ARABIA AT A THEATER RYE, NEAR THE ENGLISH UNTRYSI TOWN WHERE SHE AND UPTON LIVE. WHERE IS SHE GOG WH ALL THIS? THE SELF-SCRIBED “RAMBLG” ALC TO AN EXPRSN OF HOPE FOR HER MOVIE AND HER CHARACTER TO LEAD A LONG LIFE. “I’M GOG TO DATE MYSELF, BUT THE WHOLE IA OF THGS STG REPERTORY SO THAT YOU N GO BACK AND REVIS THEM OVER TIME—I DO THK THAT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE FILMS,” SHE SAYS. “IT’S RARE, BUT ’S ALL ABOUT TIME. AND ’S GOG TO STAND THE TT OF TIME.”TOWARD THE END OF LUNCH, OUR SERVER RETURNS. SHE RMS ME AND BLANCHETT THAT, STARTG AT SIX O’CLOCK THE EVENG, SHEEP’S K WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE RTRANT. BLANCHETT LOOKS SIMULTANEOLY LIGHTED AND MORTIFIED. I BURST OUT LGHG. THIS ULDN’T HAVE GONE ANY OTHER WAY. I THK BACK TO EVERYTHG I’D HEARD ABOUT AND SEEN OF BLANCHETT G TO OUR TERVIEW. IñáRRU LLED HER “RELENTLS”; SRSE, “ASTONISHG.” LYNSKEY SAID SHE WAS “OUR GREATT ACTRS,” AND MANY AGREE. TALK ABOUT STANDG THE TT OF TIME. SO WHEN CATE BLANCHETT RAV ABOUT SHEEP’S K, WHO ARE ANY OF TO DISMISS ? “NOT JT FOR ME, WAS ?” BLANCHETT ASKS WH AN EMBARRASSED SE. “FOR EVERYONE,” THE SERVER REPLI. “WE ALL NEED TO TRY .” HAIR, ROBERT VETI; MAKP, MARY GREENWELL; MANICURE, J SOON CHOI; TAILOR, JOEL GOMEZ; SET SIGN, NICHOLAS D JARDS. PRODUCED ON LOTN BY HEN’S TOOTH PRODUCTNS. FOR TAILS, GO TO .MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORETE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMTHE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKG, NEW DETAILS REVEALWHY THE GEIA INDICTMENT AGAST TMP AND HIS ALLI IS THE MOST SWEEPG YETIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERA NEW SLIM AARONS BOOK CAPTUR A LOST WORLDTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)DAVID CANFIELD
• AS CATE BLANCHETT TRANSFORMS TO A CUT-THROAT GAY POSER TáR, HERE ARE 6 REMRS OF WHY SHE’S A BONA FI LBIAN IN
• CATE BLANCHETT ON FALLG LOVE ‘CAROL’: THERE’S UNIVERSALY, GAY OR STRAIGHT

CATE BLANCHETT RPONDS TO MOURS SHE HAS A GAY PAST

She explaed exactly why shouldn’t matter and tells that we have a lot of work left to do on the sexual orientatn ont, sayg, “What happens the days is if you are homosexual you have to talk about nstantly. Cate Blanchett rponds to mours she has a gay pastCATE Blanchett — Cann for the world premiere of her lbian romance ‘Carol’ — has addrsed media speculatn she has a real-life gay Cate Blanchett — Cann for the red-rpet world premiere of her latt movie about a lbian romance — has opened up about media speculatn she has a real-life gay reviews of Carol, set New York the 1950s and directed by Amerin filmmaker Todd Hayn, have been so glowg that the film is already generatg Osr buzz and is a leadg ntenr for the top Cann prize, the Palme d’Or. Speakg to the prs on Sunday ahead of the premiere, Blanchett found herself forced to ny that she had had any gay experienc herself.

CATE BLANCHETT’S MATRO MOMENT TáRSHE LLS THE FILM THE MOST “ALL-NSUMG, LIFE-AFFIRMG” PROJECT SHE’S EVER BEEN A PART OF. SHE’S STILL UNPACKG THE IMPACT HAD ON HER—AND THE QUTNS SHE’S BEEN ASKED BEE OF .BY DAVID CANFIELDPHOTOGRAPHY BY ELIZAVETA PORODASTYLED BY STELLA GREENSPANFEBARY 13, 2023CATE BLANCHETT, PHOTOGRAPHED ON SEPTEMBER 5 NEW YORK. CLOTHG BY SIMONE ROCHA; SHO BY KHAE; STOCKGS BY VEX LATEX.PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZAVETA PORODINA. STYLED BY STELLA GREENSPAN.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETIME TENDS TO STAND STILL THE PRENCE OF CATE BLANCHETT. MART SRSE REALIZED AS MUCH AFTER SPOTTG HER 20 YEARS AGO AT THE GOLN GLOB. HE DIDN’T KNOW HER PERSONALLY, ONLY HER WORK. BUT AS HE WATCHED HER STRI ACROSS THE CROWD BALLROOM—HER FLORAL DRS AND STATEMENT NECKLACE SHIMMERG—HE HAD AN EPIPHANY. SRSE, WHO WAS VELOPG HIS NEXT FILM, THE AVIATOR, TURNED TO HIS WIFE, ONLY TO FD THAT SHE’D HAD THE EPIPHANY TOO. “WE BOTH LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND SAID, ‘KATHARE HEPBURN—THERE SHE IS,’ ” HE SAYS. A FEW YEARS LATER, ON THE SET OF TODD HAYN’S I’M NOT THERE, WHICH BLANCHETT PLAYED A RENEGA MID-60S VERSN OF BOB DYLAN, BCE GREENWOOD HAD HIS OWN MEMORABLE SIGHTG, THIS TIME A VERNO WAREHOE. IT HAD TO HAVE BEEN 50 OR 60 YARDS HIGH AND FOUR TIM AS LONG. HE WANRED THE DARK SPACE, A LTLE LOST, AND FOUND SOME CREW GATHERED AROUND A WHE LIGHT. HE SAW A STRIKG SILHOUETTE OF BLANCHETT, STUME AS DYLAN, CIGARETTE HAND. GREENWOOD CHED CLOSER AS IF ZOOMG ON AN INIC PHOTOGRAPH. “EVERYBODY WAS AS STILL AS SHE WAS, TRANSFIXED BY THE STILLNS THAT SHE CREATED,” HE SAYS. “AND THAT WAS MY TRODUCTN TO CATE BLANCHETT.”COAT BY DRI VAN NOTEN; NECKLAC BY LOUIS VUTON HIGH JEWELRY. HAIR PRODUCTS BY R+CO. MAKP PRODUCTS BY ARMANI BETY. NAIL ENAMEL BY JSOON. PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZAVETA PORODINA. STYLED BY STELLA GREENSPAN.TALK TO LLEAGU ABOUT BLANCHETT, AND YOU HEAR A LOT OF STORI LIKE THIS. “SHE’S LIKE THE RENAISSANCE PORTRAS, WHERE THE LIGHT OM SI,” SAYS ALEJANDRO G. IñáRRU, WHO DIRECTED HER 2006’S BABEL. DAVID HARE, WHO ST BLANCHETT A 1999 LONDON PRODUCTN OF HIS PLAY PLENTY, SAYS, “THERE IS NO POSSIBILY OF EVER BEG A ROOM WHOUT KNOWG IF CATE BLANCHETT IS .” I MEET BLANCHETT FOR LUNCH ON A BRISK JANUARY AFTERNOON BEVERLY HILLS. WE’D PREVLY SAID HELLO AT DTRY EVENTS AS SHE MA THE GLOBAL ROUNDS FOR HER ACCLAIMED OSR NTENR, TáR. (IT’S SCE BEEN NOMATED FOR SIX OSRS, CLUDG BT PICTURE AND BT ACTRS FOR BLANCHETT.) BUT HERE—SETTLG TO A RNER BOOTH, REMOVG HER HOT PK SPECTACL AND ADJTG A GRAY SRF—HER EFFECT IS PARTICULARLY VIVID. AROUND , A FEW DERS’ FAC ANGLE TOWARD OUR TABLE. SHE DON’T SEEM TO NOTICE; ’S A SUATN, NO DOUBT, SHE’S GOTTEN ED TO.BLANCHETT HAD TO LEARN HOW TO NDUCT, TO MASTER THE PIANO, TO SPEAK GERMAN: “I WAS UTTERLY TERRIFIED OF . BUT BEE THERE WAS SO MUCH TO DO, MEANT THAT THERE WASN’T ANY TIME FOR NERV.”BLANCHETT HAS ANOTHER SCREENG OF TáR LATER TONIGHT, SHE TELLS ME AS WE GET GOG. WELL, A SCREENG OR SOMETHG ELSE—’S HARD TO KEEP TRACK. IN THE FILM, SHE PLAYS A REVERED ORCHTRA NDUCTOR FACG A PUBLIC RECKONG. BLANCHETT HAS PROMOTED TIRELSLY SCE S PREMIERE AT THE VENICE FILM FTIVAL SEPTEMBER, WHICH IS NOT TYPIL OF AN ACTOR OF HER STAT, WH TWO OSRS TO HER NAME AND A PROFILE HARDLY AT RISK OF CLG. BUT SHE LOV THIS MOVIE. SHE WORKED VERY HARD ON , AND SHE’S PELLED BY S THORNY, PRCIENT PROVOTNS. ON OPENG NIGHT OCTOBER, I JOED HER FOR A PUBLIC Q&A AT THE AMC CENTURY CY, LOS ANGEL, AND WHEN I ASKED HOW SHE FELT ABOUT THE TRICKY ENDG, SHE THREW THE TOPIC TO THE DIENCE AN STANT, ENGAGG WH AND VALIDATG DIVERGG THEORI. SHE ULDN’T STOP SG THROUGH ALL. I IALLY TOOK THIS AS PURE ACTORLY ENTHIASM; THE LONG-GTATG TáR HAD FALLY BEEN RELEASED, AND PEOPLE HAD STRONG OPNS. BUT SPEAKG WH HER THREE MONTHS LATER, ’S OBV SHE’S HAD HER OWN CH TO SCRATCH, AN UNCERTATY YET TO MORPH TO CLARY. “I FOUND TáR THE MOST ALL-NSUMG, NONTG, JOYO, LIFE-AFFIRMG ENAVOR THAT I’VE EVER BEEN VOLVED ,” BLANCHETT SAYS. “I DON’T KNOW WHAT EXACTLY IS, BUT I KNOW ’S SOMETHG. SO I WANT PEOPLE TO TELL ME WHAT IS BEE I’M STILL FIGURG OUT FOR MYSELF.”TáR WAS WRTEN AND DIRECTED BY TODD FIELD, THE OSR-NOMATED FILMMAKER OF IN THE BEDROOM AND LTLE CHILDREN. IT’S HIS FIRST MOVIE 16 YEARS, A FACT HE ATTRIBUT AT LEAST PARTIALLY TO STGGL WH FANCG. ONE PROJECT, A SCRIPT HE’D BEEN LLABORATG ON WH JOAN DIDN, BROUGHT HIM TO BLANCHETT’S ORB A AGO. FIELD FOUND HER UNFETTABLE EVEN AFTER A SGLE DNER. “SHE HAS JT THE MOST TENSE W,” HE SAYS. “SHE WILL N RGS AROUND ANYONE.” HE’D BEGUN THKG ABOUT TáR AROUND THE SAME TIME, AND YEARS LATER, WHEN HE RECEIVED THE GREENLIGHT OM FOC FEATUR, BLANCHETT POPPED TO HIS HEAD ONCE MORE. HE DIDN’T WRE TáR WH HER MD; HE WROTE  FOR HER, AND ONLY HER. BLANCHETT SAID Y IMMEDIATELY AFTER READG THE SCRIPT. DUE TO COVID-DUCED LAYS, SHE HAD MONTHS TO PREPARE—TO LEARN HOW TO NDUCT, TO MASTER THE PIANO, TO SPEAK GERMAN. (THE FILM IS SET BERL AND WAS LARGELY SHOT THERE.) “I WAS UTTERLY TERRIFIED OF . I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE TO START AND SO I HAD TO JT START AN CREDIBLY PRACTIL WAY,” SHE SAYS. “BUT BEE THERE WAS SO MUCH TO DO, MEANT THAT THERE WASN’T ANY TIME FOR NERV.”THE THENTICY OF THE FAL PERFORMANCE IS ASTOUNDG. FIELD HAD TAPPED THE DRN PHILHARMONIC TO STAND FOR LYDIA TáR’S FICTNAL ORCHTRA, AND THEY WERE ONLY AVAILABLE AT THE VERY START OF PRODUCTN, MEANG THAT BLANCHETT NEED TO JUMP TO THE EP END FAST. FIELD HAD SEEN HER REHEARSE; HE KNEW SHE WAS READY, BUT EVEN SO SHE FULLY UPEND HIS EXPECTATNS. “SHE SHOWS UP ON A SET, SHE WANTS TO EXPERIMENT, SHE WANTS TO BE PHED—SHE WANTS YOU TO ASK HER TO DO THGS THAT ARE 180 GRE OM WHAT ANYONE WOULD THK SHE WOULD POSSIBLY DO A MOMENT ONSCREEN,” HE SAYS. “HOW FAR N I PH HER OUT ONTO A TIGHT WIRE WH NO ? IT’S ONE THG TO BE ABLE TO GET ACROSS. IT’S QUE ANOTHER TO DANCE ON OR STAND ON YOUR HEAD.”TáR IS AN EXTRAORDARILY AMB WOMAN. SHE HAS ASCEND TO THE TOP OF HER FIELD, HONED HER CRAFT TO A PLACE BEYOND PERFECTN. AS SHE OBSS OVER AN UPG LIVE RERDG OF HER WHE WHALE, MAHLER’S FIFTH, SHE ARROGANTLY SQUASH ANYTHG THAT ULD GET HER WAY. YET SHE IS EPLY HNTED—BY HER AB OF POWER THAT WENT TANM WH HER RISE, FOR ONE THG, BUT ALSO BY AGG AND WONRG WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU NONT YOUR WHE WHALE. BLANCHETT’S EMBODIMENT FEELS CELLULAR. SHE ACKNOWLEDG SOMETHG “HAPPENED” DURG FILMG. SHE KEEPS GETTG TRIPPED UP BY MY QUTNS ABOUT THIS. SHE’S NOT BEG EVASIVE; ON THE NTRARY, SHE’S WILDLY CUR, GIVG LONG AND THOUGHTFUL ANSWERS. SHE’LL STOP HERSELF OFTEN: “SORRY, I N’T REMEMBER, WHAT WERE YOU ASKG ME?”SHE LLS THE ROLE “SKLS” AT ONE POT, THE BT CLUE SHE’LL PROVI TO THIS TENSE NNECTN BETWEEN THE PORTRAYER AND THE PORTRAYED. SO WHAT DO AMBN MEAN TO BLANCHETT? “IT’S SOMETHG THAT TRADNALLY IS SEEN AS BEG AN UNATTRACTIVE THG FOR A WOMAN TO HOLD,” SHE REPLI QUICKLY. “IT’S SYNONYMO WH BEG THLS.” THEN SHE TURNS THE QUIRY ON HERSELF—“I LOOK AT THE THGS THAT I CHOOSE TO TAKE ON AS AMB, AND THAT ALWAYS NTAS A VERY STRONG POSSIBILY OF MONUMENTAL, TASTROPHIC FAILURE”—BEFORE CHEWG ON A LTLE MORE. “I DON’T KNOW IF I’M AN AMB PERSON OR A RTLS PERSON.” SHE SQUTS AT ME AND GRS. “IT’S A VERY HARD QUTN, DR. FRD.” SWIMSU BY DILARA FDIKOGLU; GOWN BY AE STUDS; BAG BY SIMONE ROCHA. PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZAVETA PORODINA. STYLED BY STELLA GREENSPAN.ONSCREEN, BLANCHETT ALWAYS HOLDS YOUR ATTENTN LIKE THERE’S NOTHG ELSE TO SEE: THOSE FEROC MONOLOGU  ELIZABETH AND BLUE JASME THAT MAND PLETE SILENCE. THE IMMACULATE GLAMOUR  CAROL AND NIGHTMARE ALLEY, MASKG WOMEN OF CREDIBLE FORCE. THE GENLY SCREWBALL TAKE ON, Y, KATHARE HEPBURN  THE AVIATOR, FOR WHICH SHE WON HER FIRST OF TWO OSRS (THE SEND BEG FOR BLUE JASME). EVEN NOISY BLOCKBTERS—THE LORD OF THE RGS TRILOGY, THOR: RAGNAROK, ROB HOOD—SHE PULLS OFF UNUAL PERFORMANC. SRSE NOTICED THIS OM THE MOMENT HE BEME AWARE OF HER WH 2000’S THE GIFT. “FROM MOVIE TO MOVIE, SHE WAS EXTRAORDARILY PRECISE ABOUT CHARACTER, PHYSILLY, VOLLY, EMOTNALLY,” HE SAYS. “SHE HAD A KD OF MAGIC THAT HARKED BACK TO AN EARLIER ERA MOVI.” FROM ATTENDG DRAMA SCHOOL HER NATIVE ATRALIA TO HER HOLLYWOOD BREAKOUT  ELIZABETH TO HER SUCCS SCE, BLANCHETT HAS MANAGED A PROLIFIC AND VARIED FILMOGRAPHY WHILE RAISG FOUR CHILDREN WH HER HBAND OF 25 YEARS, THE THEATER-WORLD VETERAN ANDREW UPTON. FOR EVERY AWARDS-BOUND PRTIGE MOVIE, THERE’S A PAYCHECK-LIVERG TENTPOLE, OR PERHAPS AN EXPERIMENTAL ASIE PROJECT. (FEW HOLLYWOOD ACTORS KNOW THE TERNATNAL CEMA SCENE BETTER.) IN PERSON, BLANCHETT RRI ALL A WAY THAT SWIFTLY PUTS YOU AT EASE. “SHE HAS THAT ATRALIAN THG THAT’S JT LIKE, GET THE TRENCH, DO THE WORK, DON’T MAKE HARD FOR ANYONE ELSE,” SAYS MELANIE LYNSKEY, A NEW ZEALANR, WHO ACTED OPPOSE BLANCHETT  MRS. AMERI AND DON’T LOOK UP. “WE DON’T REALLY LET EACH OTHER GET TOO FULL OF OURSELV. IT’S PART OF THE NATNAL PSYCHE.” SHE’S ALSO FUNNY—LIKE, WEIRD FUNNY. MULTIPLE LLABORATORS SCRIBE FALLG TO “GIGGLE FS” WH BLANCHETT. “I’VE NEVER KNOWN ANYTHG LIKE —I’VE NEVER GIGGLED SO MUCH,” LYNSKEY SAYS. ON TáR, “WE HAD TO STOP AND SHUT DOWN FOR 15 MUT BEE WE WERE HAVG FS TOGETHER,” FIELD SAYS. BLANCHETT CERTALY KNOWS HOW TO BREAK THE ICE WH HER DIRECTORS. “I ONCE SAID, ‘I DON’T KNOW IF WE’VE GOT TIME TO DO 15 OR 20 TAK WH YOU, CATE,’ AND SHE’D BE LIKE, ‘OH, ’S HARD ENOUGH REMEMBERG THE RIDICULO L ABOUT ASGARDIAN MYTHOLOGY, I THK I’LL GIVE YOU ABOUT THREE GOOD TAK,’ ” SAYS TAIKA WAI, WHO TURNED BLANCHETT TO A LIC SUPERVILLA FOR THOR: RAGNAROK. “SHE’S GOT A REALLY WICKED SENSE OF HUMOR, AND ’S VERY FAST. BUT I NEVER FELT NSCEND TO. I NEVER FELT UNRMED BEE SHE HAD MORE EXPERIENCE WH BIGGER DIRECTORS.”I FEEL THIS TOO—SHE ASKS ABOUT MY FAY, MY UPBRGG, MY FAVORE MOVI, GOG WELL BEYOND THE ROTE SMALL TALK BETWEEN JOURNALIST AND CELEBRY. IT’S SURPRISG THAT SHE SHOWS UP ON SET THE SAME FASHN, KNOWG HOW MUCH SHE PUTS TO HER WORK. IN FACT, THIS MAY EXPLA WHY SHE HAS THOUGHT ABOUT QUTG ACTG ALTOGETHER. IT N BEE TOO MUCH. (ONCE, WHEN JULIA ROBERTS WAS TALKG TO HER FOR INTERVIEW MAGAZE, BLANCHETT SAID, “WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I WOULD WONR WHY THE OLR ACTORS I ADMIRED KEPT TALKG ABOUT QUTG. NOW I REALIZE ’S BEE THEY WANT TO MATA A NNECTN TO THE LAST SHREDS OF THEIR SANY.”) I ASSUME THIS IS A MERELY OCSNAL FEELG. “IT’S NOT OCSNAL—’S NTUAL,” BLANCHETT SAYS. “ON A DAILY OR WEEKLY BASIS, FOR SURE. IT’S A LOVE AFFAIR, ISN’T ? SO YOU DO FALL AND OUT OF LOVE WH , AND YOU HAVE TO BE SCED BACK TO .” AFTER FISHG TáR, FIELD SUGGTED TO BLANCHETT THAT SHE TAKE AN ACTG BREAK. SHE DID NOT. ALFONSO CUARóN HAD OFFERED HER THE LEAD HIS UPG APPLE TV+ SERI—“YOU HAVE TO ANSWER THAT LL,” SHE SAYS—AND SHE RECENTLY PRODUCED AND STARRED AN ATRALIAN FILM, ABOUT AN INDIGENO ORPHAN WHO ARRIV AT A REMOTE MONASTERY, THAT TOOK YEARS TO GET OFF THE GROUND. AND TáR STILL LIV. BLANCHETT HAS BEEN FEATURED CHARACTER ON A NCEPT ALBUM, WHICH IS NOW AVAILABLE ON VYL, NTAG EXCERPTS OM THE FILM AS WELL AS ORIGAL MIC BY POSER HILDUR GUðNADóTTIR. THEN THERE’S FIELD’S ANTICIPATED SHORT FILM THAT EXPANDS ON THE “TáR UNIVERSE,” PREMIERG AT FEBARY’S BERL INTERNATNAL FILM FTIVAL. EVEN NOW, “TODD AND I ARE ON THE PHONE THREE, FOUR, FIVE TIM A DAY, EVERY DAY,” BLANCHETT SAYS. THE MEM TREATG LYDIA TáR AS AN ACTUAL PERSON ARE, SOME WAYS, REAL FOR BLANCHETT. SHE N’T SEEM TO LET HER GO.BLANCHETT REMEMBERS FIELD’S SUGGTN: “HE SAID ‘DON’T WORK FOR A WHILE,’ AND I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE ADVICE.” SHE FALLY HAS. “I JT SAID NO TO A UPLE OF THGS. I THK ’S TIME TO BE QUIET.”BLANCHETT LLS THE ROLE OF LYDIA TÁR “SKLS.” COAT BY RICHARD QUN.PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZAVETA PORODINA. STYLED BY STELLA GREENSPAN.SWIMSU BY DILARA FDIKOGLU; GOWN BY AE STUDS.PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZAVETA PORODINA. STYLED BY STELLA GREENSPAN.BLANCHETT SWEARS SHE IS NOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, NOT EVEN UNR AN ALIAS, SO SHE NEEDS TO BE UGHT UP A LTLE. I TELL HER THAT THERE’S AN INSTAGRAM ACUNT LLED @DYKEBLANCHETT THAT HAS MORE THAN 50,000 FOLLOWERS. BLANCHETT CHEERS: “OH, GOOD!” THEN SHE THKS FOR A MOMENT: “ONLY 50,000?” HEY, ’S JT A FAN ACUNT.BETWEEN I’M NOT THERE, CAROL, AND NOW TáR—LYDIA LLS HERSELF A “U-HL LBIAN,” RAISG A CHILD WH HER PARTNER, THE ORCHTRA’S NCERTMASTER, SHARON (NA HOSS)—BLANCHETT HAS AMASSED A SIZABLE QUEER FOLLOWG. RELL THE QUEER EDIAN HANNAH GADSBY JOKG ABOUT BLANCHETT “HOGGG ALL THE MOODY LBIAN ROL.” BLANCHETT IS AWARE OF THIS PARTICULAR FANDOM, PECIALLY AS CAROL HAS VELOPED TO A GAY CHRISTMAS CLASSIC SCE S 2015 RELEASE. HER BEG THE FACE OF S LEGACY IS UNNIABLE. AS TODD HAYN, WHO DIRECTED CAROL, PUTS FOR ME, “YOU THK OF THE FILM, YOU THK OF THE TLE—AND THE EXTRAORDARY IMAG OF CATE BLANCHETT.”BLANCHETT HAS SAID THAT, THE S OF BOTH CAROL AND TáR, SHE “DIDN’T THK ABOUT” THE FACT THAT SHE WAS PLAYG A GAY WOMAN. YET AT THE TIME TáR WAS NCEIVED, FEW WOMEN HAD LED MAJOR ORCHTRAS, LET ALONE GAY WOMEN; LYDIA OCCUPYG THIS POSN IMPLI A SEISMIC CULTURAL BREAKTHROUGH. HER STORY REMBL THAT OF MAR ALSOP, THE CHIEF NDUCTOR OF THE ORF VIENNA RAD SYMPHONY ORCHTRA, WHO, LIKE LYDIA, IS A LBIAN AND WAS MENTORED BY LEONARD BERNSTE. (THOUGH THERE MAY BE SOME REASON TO DOUBT THAT LATTER TAIL LYDIA’S BGRAPHY.) ALSOP ACKNOWLEDGED THE “SUPERFICIAL” SIARI WHILE CRICIZG THE FILM’S DARK CHARACTER STUDY JANUARY, TELLG THE BRISH TIM, “TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNY TO PORTRAY A WOMAN THAT ROLE AND TO MAKE HER AN ABER—FOR ME, THAT WAS HEARTBREAKG.”“I DON’T THK ABOUT MY GENR OR MY SEXUALY,” SHE SAYS OF HER APPROACH TO ACTG. “FOR ME SCHOOL, WAS DAVID BOWIE, WAS ANNIE LENNOX. THERE’S ALWAYS BEEN THAT SORT OF GENR FLUIDY.” BLANCHETT HAS SAID SHE DREW OM VAR ARTISTS AND MICIANS CREATG TáR, AND TELLS ME THE CHARACTER IS TOTALLY FICT—“A FANTASY.” HOW MUCH DID SHE FACTOR THAT SHE’D BE PLAYG A QUEER PERSON WHO FIED THE ODDS, ONLY TO BE RPTED BY POWER? “I DON’T THK ABOUT MY GENR OR MY SEXUALY,” SHE SAYS. “FOR ME SCHOOL, WAS DAVID BOWIE, WAS ANNIE LENNOX. THERE’S ALWAYS BEEN THAT SORT OF GENR FLUIDY.” THIS ECHO THE 2015 VIO STALLATN MANIFTO, WHICH SHE ADOPTED 13 DISTCTIVE PERSONAS WHILE LIVERG PIEC OF FAMO POLEMIL SPEECH, AS WELL AS HER BOB DYLAN  I’M NOT THERE. BUT I PRS HER ON THIS A B, AND SHE ADMS TO FEELG PERPLEXED BY THE VERY NOTN OF HAVG TO THK ABOUT STEPPG TO AN INTY OUTSI OF HER OWN: “I HAVE TO REALLY LISTEN VERY HARD WHEN PEOPLE HAVE AN ISSUE WH . I JT DON’T UNRSTAND THE LANGUAGE THEY’RE SPEAKG, AND I NEED TO UNRSTAND BEE YOU N’T DISMISS THE OBSSN WH THOSE LABELS—BEHD THE OBSSN IS SOMETHG REALLY IMPORTANT. BUT PERSONALLY I’VE NEVER HAD .”A CCIAL EARLY SCENE  TáR, FILMED ONE VIRTUOSIC TAKE, FDS LYDIA A HEATED ARGUMENT WH HER STUNT AT JUILLIARD OVER SEPARATG THE ART OM THE ARTIST, THE CREATIVE VALUE OF DIVERSY, AND THE CHANGG OF THE NONIL GUARDS. THE STUNT QUTN INTIFI AS A “BIPOC PAN-GENR PERSON,” WHICH VISIBLY RANKL LYDIA. SHE BERAT HIM UNTIL HE LLS HER A BCH AND STORMS OUT. “THAT’S WHAT TODD DO—THERE ARE NO ANSWERS TO THE THGS, BUT THE NVERSATN’S REALLY IMPORTANT,” BLANCHETT SAYS. SHE NSIRS CAROL: “IF WAS MA NOW, ME NOT BEG GAY—WOULD I BE GIVEN PUBLIC PERMISSN TO PLAY THAT ROLE?” I ASK IF SHE THKS SHE SHOULD BE. “I DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT,” SHE SAYS.THE TOPIC CLEARLY WEIGHS ON BLANCHETT, AS SHE UNRSTANDS THE SENSIVY AROUND —AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SAYG THE WRONG THG. “IF YOU AND I WERE HAVG A NVERSATN [25 YEARS AGO], WOULD BE YOUR PUBLITN AND THAT WAS ,” SHE SAYS. “NOW, SOMEHOW ’S LIKE THE OPNS GET PUBLISHED, AND SRLETT JOHANSSON DON’T PLAY A ROLE THAT MAYBE SHE WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO ULD PLAY .” (THIS LIKELY REFERS TO JOHANSSON, AFTER BACKLASH, EXG A PROJECT WHICH SHE WAS TO PLAY A TRANSGENR MAN.) SHE ADDS, “I DON’T WANT TO OFFEND ANYBODY. I DON’T WANT TO SPEAK FOR ANYBODY ELSE.”“SHE HAD A KD OF MAGIC THAT HARKED BACK TO AN EARLIER ERA MOVI,” SAYS MART SRSE. PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZAVETA PORODINA. STYLED BY STELLA GREENSPAN.CLOTHG BY GNTLETT CHENG; SHO BY JIMMY CHOO; STOCKGS BY VEX LATEX. THROUGHOUT: HAIR PRODUCTS BY R+CO; MAKP PRODUCTS BY ARMANI BETY; NAIL ENAMEL BY JSOON.PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZAVETA PORODINA. STYLED BY STELLA GREENSPAN.NAVIGATG THE BAT WH THE TERRORY OF AN OSR MPAIGN. BLANCHETT IS A STRONG NTENR FOR THIS YEAR’S AMY AWARD, AND IF SHE WS, SHE’LL JO MERYL STREEP, INGRID BERGMAN, AND FRANC MCDORMAND AS THE ONLY WOMEN TO HAVE WON THREE ACTG OSRS. (KATHARE HEPBURN, NATURALLY, HOLDS THE RERD AT FOUR.) TIM HAVE CHANGED SO FAST THAT NONE OF THOSE STARS HAD TO ANSWER QUTNS LIKE THE ON THE TRAIL. NOR DID THEY GO ON HOT ON, THE POPULAR WEB TALK SHOW, AND EAT SPICY CHICKEN UNTIL THEY CRIED WHILE PROMOTG THEIR MOVIE. THAT SAID, “I ASKED TO BE ON HOT ON,” BLANCHETT SAYS. “I’VE BEEN WANTG TO GO ON HOT ON FOR YEARS.”BUT MUCH OF THE MECHANICS OF AWARDS SEASON FEEL TRATGLY FAIAR TO BLANCHETT. “PART OF ME WAS REALLY HOPG THAT, OUT OF THE PANMIC, SO MANY THGS WERE GOG TO BE DONE DIFFERENTLY,” SHE SAYS. “WHY DON’T WE HAVE A MATRIARCHAL STCTURE, WHICH…ALL THE THGS ARE DIALOGUE WH ONE ANOTHER RATHER THAN BEG A HORSE RACE? BUT OF URSE THERE’S A LOT OF VTED TERT CREATG THE DRAMA AROUND THE DRAMA.” SHE REMEMBERS HTG THE OSRS CIRCU FOR THE FIRST TIME 1998, FOR ELIZABETH, WHICH TRACED THE EARLY YEARS OF QUEEN ELIZABETH I’S REIGN. BLANCHETT WAS A NEWLYWED WHO’D MA THAT HISTORIL DRAMA ONLY A YEAR EARLIER. SHE WENT OM VENICE TO TORONTO TO ALL OF THE UAL PLAC OSR NTENRS HAVE GONE FOR S. “IT WAS LERALLY LIKE I WAS DROPPED ON MARS,” BLANCHETT SAYS. “I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT ANYTHG WAS. I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THE ROUNDTABL WERE OR WHAT PANEL NVERSATNS WERE—OR ANYTHG AT ALL.” SHE DON’T MD ANSWERG TOUGH QUTNS, BUT SHE ANSWERS THEM HER OWN WAY, HER OWN TIME. WHEN I ASK HER ABOUT TáR’S DISAPPOTG BOX OFFICE, FOR STANCE, SHE KEEPS TALKG ABOUT SHEEP’S K. “WE WERE TASMANIA RECENTLY, AND WE WENT TO THIS, LIKE, VODKA VEYARD, AND WAS MA OM SHEEP’S WHEY,” SHE SAYS. “AND THEY HAD FFEE WH SHEEP K AND WAS REALLY LIC!” I PLAY ALONG, TELLG HER I GREW UP PARTLY NEW ZEALAND; SHE YELPS, “SPEAKG OF SHEEP!” WE LGH. OUR SERVER RETURNS TO LIVER OUR DRKS AND BLANCHETT TRI TO KEEP THE B GOG, AS A FEW EY AROUND THE DG ROOM SHIFT BACK OUR DIRECTN. “CAN I ASK, DO YOU HAVE SHEEP’S K BY ANY CHANCE?” THE SERVER CHECKS AND EVENTUALLY REVEALS THEY DO NOT, FACT, HAVE SHEEP’S K. BLANCHETT ASSUR HER, “I’M TOTALLY FE WH W.”SO ANYWAY: BOX OFFICE. TáR HAS MA LS THAN $7 LN DOMTILLY AS OF THIS WRG, ABOUT HALF OF WHAT CAROL—WHICH WAS PRODUCED ON A MUCH SMALLER BUDGET—PULLED . BLANCHETT WAV HER HAND FENSE. “I DON’T KNOW,” SHE SAYS OF MY AMG. “PEOPLE SAID THAT, BUT HAD SUCH A LIMED RELEASE.” SHE’S RIGHT THAT OPENED CENTLY ON THE HANDFUL OF NEW YORK AND LA SCREENS WHERE IALLY H THEATERS. BUT THE FACT IS THAT VIRTUALLY EVERY ART HOE RELEASE 2022 HAS MET A ACTN OF THE THEATRIL DIENCE THAT MOVI LIKE WOULD’VE FOUND PRE-PANMIC. A ACTN, OTHER WORDS, OF WHAT MOVI LIKE ELIZABETH AND THE AVIATOR AND BLUE JASME NEED—MOVI THAT AMB (OR RTLS, PENDG ON YOUR PERCEPTN) ACTORS LIKE BLANCHETT HAVE BUILT THEIR REERS WH, MOVI THAT STUDS JTIFIED WH THE PROMISE OF REACHG A SPECIFIC KD OF DIENCE.“SHE HAS JT THE MOST TENSE W,” SAYS TODD FIELD. “SHE WILL N RGS AROUND ANYONE.”I WONR ALOUD IF THIS SR BLANCHETT. “BEG SRED OF THGS IS SOMETIM AN IMPORTANT PART OF THEM—GIRDG YOUR LOS TO WORK OUT WHAT YOU’RE GOG TO DO ABOUT ,” SHE SAYS. “I FD NCERNG FOR SURE.” SHE ADMS HER AGGRSIVE PROMOTN OF TáR IS PARTLY BEE THE FILM LIVERS A RICHLY CEMATIC EXPERIENCE, OM S SOUND SIGN TO S REFUL CEMATOGRAPHY, AND SHE WANTS PEOPLE TO SEE A MOVIE THEATER: “THE OPPORTUNY TO BE SEEN BY PEOPLE THE CEMAS—THOSE WDOWS ARE CLOSG UP. THEY ARE.”BUT BLANCHETT ALSO TALKS ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE LOVG TáR MORE THAN SHE EVER EXPECTED; ABOUT DISVERG ONE OF HER FAVORE REPERTORY CEMAS, ROW HOE, PTSBURGH; AND ABOUT THE BETY OF STILL BEG ABLE TO SEE LAWRENCE OF ARABIA AT A THEATER RYE, NEAR THE ENGLISH UNTRYSI TOWN WHERE SHE AND UPTON LIVE. WHERE IS SHE GOG WH ALL THIS? THE SELF-SCRIBED “RAMBLG” ALC TO AN EXPRSN OF HOPE FOR HER MOVIE AND HER CHARACTER TO LEAD A LONG LIFE. “I’M GOG TO DATE MYSELF, BUT THE WHOLE IA OF THGS STG REPERTORY SO THAT YOU N GO BACK AND REVIS THEM OVER TIME—I DO THK THAT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE FILMS,” SHE SAYS. “IT’S RARE, BUT ’S ALL ABOUT TIME. AND ’S GOG TO STAND THE TT OF TIME.”TOWARD THE END OF LUNCH, OUR SERVER RETURNS. SHE RMS ME AND BLANCHETT THAT, STARTG AT SIX O’CLOCK THE EVENG, SHEEP’S K WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE RTRANT. BLANCHETT LOOKS SIMULTANEOLY LIGHTED AND MORTIFIED. I BURST OUT LGHG. THIS ULDN’T HAVE GONE ANY OTHER WAY. I THK BACK TO EVERYTHG I’D HEARD ABOUT AND SEEN OF BLANCHETT G TO OUR TERVIEW. IñáRRU LLED HER “RELENTLS”; SRSE, “ASTONISHG.” LYNSKEY SAID SHE WAS “OUR GREATT ACTRS,” AND MANY AGREE. TALK ABOUT STANDG THE TT OF TIME. SO WHEN CATE BLANCHETT RAV ABOUT SHEEP’S K, WHO ARE ANY OF TO DISMISS ? “NOT JT FOR ME, WAS ?” BLANCHETT ASKS WH AN EMBARRASSED SE. “FOR EVERYONE,” THE SERVER REPLI. “WE ALL NEED TO TRY .” HAIR, ROBERT VETI; MAKP, MARY GREENWELL; MANICURE, J SOON CHOI; TAILOR, JOEL GOMEZ; SET SIGN, NICHOLAS D JARDS. PRODUCED ON LOTN BY HEN’S TOOTH PRODUCTNS. FOR TAILS, GO TO .MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORETE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMTHE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKG, NEW DETAILS REVEALWHY THE GEIA INDICTMENT AGAST TMP AND HIS ALLI IS THE MOST SWEEPG YETIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERA NEW SLIM AARONS BOOK CAPTUR A LOST WORLDTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)DAVID CANFIELD

The answer is no, ” Blanchett told reporters at a media actor said speculatn about possible gay episos had spng om an terview she had given to publitn had reported that asked Blanchett whether she’d had “past relatnships wh women” and got the rponse: “Y.

”That triggered sdg speculatn that Blanchett had revealed past gay enunters. However, Variety have subsequently stated that they stand by the origal actor add firmly that “ 2015, the answer (to that sort of qutn) shouldn’t matter”, notg that “ 70 untri around the world, homosexualy is still illegal”. After wng a Goln Globe for Bt Actrs - Drama for her performance as a gay poser Tár, Cate Blanchett reacts to her lbian in stat.

AS CATE BLANCHETT TRANSFORMS TO A CUT-THROAT GAY POSER TáR, HERE ARE 6 REMRS OF WHY SHE’S A BONA FI LBIAN IN

Read on to see what Blanchett had to say about her gay in tle, and watch her reactn to the vio:.

CATE BLANCHETT ON FALLG LOVE ‘CAROL’: THERE’S UNIVERSALY, GAY OR STRAIGHT

Blanchett proved her abily to portray a gay woman 2015's crilly-acclaimed romance perd drama, Carol. Both crics and viewers celebrated Blanchett's performance as 1950s hoewife Carol, which she expertly ptur the tragic, yet betiful experience of beg a gay woman durg that perd. Her posn as a gay woman is not tegral to the plot le, but 's jt an aspect of who she is, which normaliz beg gay.

Although she is married to Andrew Upton, her mment to givg LGBTQ+ members accurate and fair portrayals film, upled wh her vol support for gay rights, has proven the tle is well-served.

However, straight actors playg gay characters rema a ntent subject Hollywood. But if stumbl, may be perceived as yet another example of the curse of the gay love story.