Cate Blanchett says she was treated ‘brutally’ early in her career but says it helped with her breakthrough (Picture: Getty Images)
Cate Blanchett has reflected on how she was treated early on in her acting career.
Now Hollywood royalty, Cate, 53, said she was treated ‘brutally’ by a director as she was starting out.
However, the Nightmare Alley star claims this made her ‘stronger’ – and the film in question ended up helping her make a ‘massive breakthrough.’
The Oscar-winner is preparing to star in new movie Tár, based on the life of composer Lydia Tar, which includes a scene where the titular character berates a student.
Speaking about the scene, Cate admitted she could relate to it – but from the point of view of the student rather than her own character.
She told The Times: ‘Early on in my career I would sometimes be treated brutally by a director in the rehearsal room.
Cate has been a Hollywood staple for decades, being nominated for her first Oscar in 1999 (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Yet I ended up making a massive breakthrough because of it. To be
frank, I wouldn’t be here now if that sort of thing hadn’t happened.’
She said the way she was treated made her think: ‘I’m bigger than this, I’m stronger than this.’
Cate was able to turn the situation into a positive, but mused: ‘Perhaps I was able to do that because of the colour of my skin, or where I was in my career.
‘The important thing is to be aware and respectful of these things when nurturing young talent.’
Cate has been tipped for yet another Oscar for her performance in Tár, which revolves around the composer’s career falling apart amid allegations of bullying.
Considering the film’s subject, she said: ‘It’s not really a film about conducting. It’s not even a film about the classical music world. In fact it’s very hard to pin the movie down, which is its strength.
The actress has been tipped for another Oscar for her role in new biopic Tár (Picture: Getty Images)
She described it as ‘a bit like a Rorschach test: different people will read very different things into it.’
The new flick comes after Cate starred alongside Bradley Cooper in Guillermo del Toro’s noir epic Nightmare Alley, which proved a massive hit with critics.
Australian actress Cate has so far won twoOscars for her incredible career in film, most recently in 2014, where she clinched best actress for her role in Blue Jasmine.
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She secured her first Academy Award in 2005, being named the best supporting actress with The Aviator.
Cate has also been nominated for five other Oscars between 1999 and 2016, in both best actress and best supporting actress categories.
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‘I wouldn’t be here now if that sort of thing hadn’t happened.’
