INTERVIEWER:
You’ve played queens, villains, and even gods. What draws you to a role?
CATE BLANCHETT:
(pauses, smiles slightly)
I suppose I’m drawn to contradictions — the cracks in people. I’ve never been interested in perfection. It’s the flaws that make a character breathe. When I read a script, I’m looking for that moment where I think, “I don’t know how to play this… but I want to find out.”
INTERVIEWER:
Do you ever feel pressure to be someone you’re not, especially in Hollywood?
CATE:
Of course. The industry sells illusion. But I’m not interested in branding myself. I’d rather vanish into the work than polish a version of myself for the cameras. Honestly, I think that’s what keeps it interesting — not always being known, not always being visible.
INTERVIEWER:
You’ve often spoken about time — especially after TÁR. Has your relationship with time changed?
CATE:
Absolutely. I used to think of time as a ladder — always climbing, always rushing to the next thing. But now, I see it more as a spiral. Things return. Lessons repeat. You don’t master it — you move with it. And sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is be still.
INTERVIEWER:
What would you say to young artists who are afraid of failure?
CATE:
Fail. Please, fail. But fail gloriously. Fall on your face doing something bold, not playing it safe. That’s where the growth is. And anyway, fear? That never really goes away. You just learn how to keep walking through it.
