Blanchett stays local for Guerin premiere
Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett paid a visit to her local cinema tonight for the British premiere of her new film, Veronica Guerin.
While most stars demand a glitzy red carpet bash in the centre of town, Blanchett was happy with something decidedly more low key.
The premiere was held at the Screen On The Green in Islington, north London, just a few streets away from the home she shares with screenwriter husband Andrew Upton and their 18-month-old son, Dashiell.
Blanchett, 33, looked stunning in a dark green satin dress by designer Stella McCartney.
In the Joel Schumacher biography she plays Irish journalist Guerin, whose investigations into the criminal underworld eventually cost her life.
Guerin was determined to expose Dublin’s drug barons and became their most fearsome opponent.
During her career she endured a brutal beating at the hands of one criminal and was shot in the leg by a hit man who called at her home.
In June 1996 the 36-year-old mother of one was murdered as she sat in her car at a set of traffic lights. A motorbike pulled up alongside her and the passenger shot her six times.
Blanchett spoke of her admiration for Guerin: “I think we live in very cowardly times and anyone who does anything out of a sense of idealism is considered foolhardy.
“I don’t think the same questions would be asked of a man. I have a lot of admiration for her courage.”
The actress perfected a flawless Dublin accent for the film and Guerin’s family have said her portrayal of the journalist is “spooky” in its likeness.
Blanchett joked that the role had taken a great deal more research than playing Elf Queen Galadriel in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy.
“It doesn’t take a lot of preparation to become an Elf,” she said.
Veronica Guerin opened in Ireland on July 11 to rave reviews and is set to be one of the highest grossing Irish films of all time. It opens here on August 1st.
The Oscar nominated actress, who is in the process of moving to Brighton, is soon to play the late Katharine Hepburn in Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator.
When she accepted the role Hepburn was alive and Blanchett recalls the day she learned the veteran star had died.
“She said: “It was very strange I was on my way to Montreal for work and I opened the paper to read her obituary.
“She always said she had perfect timing, that she was born at the perfect time and would die at the perfect time, and I would want to pass away before someone played me.”
