Nov 17, 2009

Cate Blanchett: I'm Not Cautious With My Career Choices

For the past few years, Cate Blanchett has been busy performing and directing as well as serving as co-artistic director for countless plays in Sydney, Australia -- all while raising three boys with her husband, playwright Andrew Upton. The self-proclaimed "theater geek" is now taking on the challenging role of Blanche DuBois in Tennessee William's 'A Streetcar Named Desire.' Blanchett, 40, opened up to Vogue about her connection to theater and her surprisingly stable family life.

On the importance of theater: "In the wake of everything that's happened in the world in the last eighteen months, we're thinking about what we've lost. So much of the play is about the death of poetry and idealism and hope -- the fine, delicate things in our lives, the intangible, ephemeral things in our lives -- which theater actually represents, doesn't it? It's ephemeral by its very nature. If you're not there, you miss it. It's gone."

On career choices: "I'm not very cautious or careful. It's always been more about having a variety of experiences than any planned trajectory...I think that in a way, projects choose you."

On the stability that staying semi-put and working regular hours has given their three boys: "'There are so few experiences in our manicured, nanny-stated existence that have the quality of circus. Theater still does." And so, when the boys aren't playing with friends, they can usually be found playing backstage. "They're always engaged in the family business, so to speak.'"

On her relationship with her husband: "We do live in each others' pockets a bit, but that feels natural. It doesn't feel cramped in there at all.