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THERE YOU GO. WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS A TWO-TIME
ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS YOU KNOW FROM "BLUE JASMINE,"
"THOR: RAGNAROK," AND "THE LORD OF THE RINGS."
SHE NOW STARS IN THE NEW MOVIE, "TAR."
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," CATE BLANCHETT!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
SEAT, EVERYBODY. I HAVE TO-- I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE
HERE. WE'RE SO HAPPY.
YOU'RE ON THE EDGE OF TEARS. I'M JUST CURIOUS.
WHAT DID THAT SONG MEAN TO YOU? >> NO, IT'S THE PEOPLE CLAPPING.
NO, NO, IT'S-- NO, I'M GOING TO CRY BECAUSE THAT'S MY SONG.
MY HUSBAND, WHO IS IN THE DRESSING ROOM, THAT'S OUR SONG.
I AM PROOF, IT'S OUR FAVORITE SONG.
OUR KIDS REMARRIED US. >> Stephen: DID YOU KNOW THIS?
>> Louis: YEAH.
>> Stephen: THAT'S AN EMOTIONAL-- THAT'S AN EMOTIONAL
STEALTH CRUISE MISSILE. >> THAT'S THE SONG WE PLAYED.
>> Stephen: THAT'S WONDERFUL. >> RIGHT BEFORE WE HAVE OUR
YEARLY SEX. I LOVE YOU-- I LOVE YOU, BABY!
>> Stephen: DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS INTERVIEW LATER--
>> 26 YEARS. 26 YEARS.
>> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS. THAT'S WONDERFUL.
>> BUT IT'S FABULOUS. YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE FABULOUS
SEX ONCE A YEAR, IT KEEPS YOU GOING.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. HI!
>> Stephen: LOVELY TO SEE YOU. >> I KNOW, YOU'RE IN CLOTHES.
THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU, YOU WERE IN YOUR PAJAMAS.
>> Stephen: AND YOU WERE IN YOUR PAJAMAS AND IT HAS NOTHING
TO DO WITH YEARLY SEX. IT WAS DURING COVID THE LAST
TIME WE SPOKE, AND YOU WERE IN FRONT OF BOOKSHELVES AND YOU
WERE IN YOUR PAJAMAS AND I GOT MINE.
>> BECAUSE YOU WERE NAKED AND IT WAS TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE.
>> Stephen: COVID WAS A DIFFERENT TIME.
YOU COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING OVER THE GALLON OF ICE CREAM IN MY
LAP. YOU KNOW I'M AN ENORMOUS FAN.
PEOPLE KNOW I'M AN ENORMOUS FAN OF SO MANY OF YOUR ROLES.
>> "LORD OF THE RINGS." >> Stephen: OF COURSE, YOU'RE
THE PERFECT GALADRIEL-- YES, I DO REMEMBER.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT'S NOT BECAUSE YOU'RE HERE.
I KEEP THIS PHOTO BACK BEHIND THE DESKS AT ALL TIMES.
>> THE VERY FIRST TIME I MET THERE YOU ARE. YOU
YOU WERE DRESSED AS A HOBBIT. AND I JUST THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS
SO UNUSUAL -- >> Stephen: COMCONOR SOMETHING
LIKE THAT. >> I THOUGHT WHO IS THIS CRAZY
MAN. BUT HERE YOU ARE, DRESSED AS A
HUMAN. >> Stephen: EXACTLY, BRIEFLY.
>> LOOK HOW FAR YOU'VE COME. >> Stephen: AS SOON AS I GET
HOME THE FURRY FEET COME BACK ON.
YOUR NEW FILM "TAR" PREMIERED AT THE VENICE FILM FESTIVAL.
SIX-MINUTE STANDING OVATION, FANTASTIC REVIEWS.
YOU'RE ALSO AN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER.
>> YES, YES. >> Stephen: WHAT IS IT LIKE--
AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER YOU'RE HELPING USHER THIS ALONG.
YOU'RE NOT JUST A PERFORMER. NOSTHAT THIS IS "JUST"
PERFORMING. WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO BE
THERE FOR THE PREMIERE OF SOMETHING AND GET THE RESPONSE
YOU ALWAYS HOPE FOR? >> I FEEL VERY CHANGED BY THIS
FILM. YOU KNOW, IT'S SUCH AN
EXAMINATION OF THE CORRUPTING NATURE OF POWER.
I MEAN, IT'S SET IN THE CLASSICAL MUSIC WORLD.
PEOPLE SAY, "IT'S A PERSONAL IT'S A VERY-- I HATE WHEN FILM."
BUT I FELT QUITE EXPANDED BY IT. SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
WHEN YOU GO TO A FILM FESTIVAL LIKE THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME,
IT'S A LITTLE BIT LIKE GIVING BIRTH IN PUBLIC.
>> Stephen: WOW. >> YAW, IT'S QUITE EXPOSING.
>> Stephen: THAT WOULD BE A HELL OF A FILM.
( LAUGHTER )
>> NO, I LEARNED THE PIANO AS A GIRL, AND WITH EVERY SUBSEQUENT
PREGNANCY I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD GET BACK AND LEARN THE
PIANO AGAIN, PICK IT UP AGAIN. AND THE SAD THING ABOUT ME AND
MY LIFE IS I DON'T GET OFF THE COUCH UNTIL I HAVE TO FOR A
FILM. >> Stephen: THE ROLE PUTS A
GUN TO YOUR HEAD AND SAYS,s, YOU'RE ANYTHING TO GO LEARN THIS
THING." >> IT DOES.
HARDEST THING YOU HAD TO >> Stephen: IS THIS THE LEARN,
BECOMING FLUENT AT THE PIANO AGAIN?
>> THAT WAS A JOY. THERE'S A MOMENT IN THE FILM
WHERE-- THE CHARACTER IS COMPOSING A PIECE, SO OBVIOUSLY
I HAD TO PLAY THAT, AND THE WOMAN WHO DID THAT PARTICULAR
PART SCORE, SHE DID THE SCORE FOR "THE JOKER."
BUT I HAD TO PLAY HER COMPOSITION.
AND THERE'S A TEACHING MOMENT IN THE WORLD WHERE I HAD TO PLAY
BACH, AND I HAD TO KNOW IT REALLY WELL.
IT WAS KIND OF GREAT TO GET BACK AT IT.
I NEVER CONDUCTED BEFORE. STANDING IN FRONT OF THAT
ORCHESTRA AND GIVING THE DOWNBEAT AND HEARING THE FIFTH
SYMPHONY COMING BACK AT YOU, I WAS FOREVER CHANGE.
CONDUCTING OR WAS THERE >> Stephen: WERE YOU SOMEBODY
BEHIND YOU? >> LIKE THE SWEDISH CHEF.
( LAUGHTER ).
THE ORCHESTRA AND DOING THE DOWN BEAT AND HEARING THE SOUND COME
OUT OF THE DRESDEN ORCHESTRA. WHAT DID YOU SEE IN THEIR FACES?
PRETENDING AT THAT MOMENT WHEN DID YOU FEEL JUDGMENT THIS IS
THEIR LIFE? >> YEAH, FROM THE GUYS IN THE
I HAD BEEN WARNED ABOUT THE HORN SECTION. GUYS
IN THE HORN SECTION. >> Stephen: THAT TRUE?
ARE GUYS IN THE HORN SECTION PARTICULARLY TOUGH?
>> YEAH, NO, I SAID TO THEM IN MY GERMAN, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS
IMPORTANT TO SPEAK TO THEM IN THEIR LANGUAGE.
I SAID TO THEM , YOU KNOW, "YOU'RE NOT ACTORS.
AND I'M NOT A CONDUCTOR. AND BETWEEN US, WE'RE GOING TO
HAVE TO FIND OUR WAY." BECAUSE THEY WERE PERFORMERS,
AND AMAZING, AMAZING ACTORS. >> Stephen: COULD YOU SPEAK
GERMAN BEFORE YOU DID THIS FILM? >> YES
( SPEAKING GERMAN ) I MEAN-- I MEAN--
VERY-- ACTUALLY, I MEAN,
IT WAS A DITTY I LEARNED ABOUT A COFFEE BEAN THAT GOES TO AMERICA
AND AMERICA WAS LOCKED UP AND THE KEY WAS BROKEN.
BUT IT CAME IN USE. WHEN I WAS BACKPACKING THROUGH
EUROPE, I WAS IN SALSBERG AND I WENT TO THE FESTIVAL THERE,
BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS LOVED CLASSICAL MUSIC.
AND I WAS STAYING AT A BED AND BREAKFAST.
AND WE WERE ALL GIVEN A LOCKER, AND THE KEY TO MY LOCKER FELL
DOWN THE LOO, FELL DOWN THE TOILET.
HOW DO YOU ASK-- WHAT AM I OH, MY GOODNESS! GOING
TO DO? MY WALLET IS IN THERE AND I
CAN'T GET MY TICKET. AND IT CAME FROM THAT MOMENT.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO COME IN HANDY.
>> Stephen: YOU HAD TO LEARN THE PIANO AGAIN.
>> YES. >> Stephen: YOU HAD TO LEARN
GERMAN AGAIN? >> YES.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU ABLE TO PLATE PIANO IN GERMAN?
>> I HAD TO CONDUCT IN GERMAN BECAUSE THE CHARACTER HAD BEEN
THE PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR FOR SEVEN YEARS.
AND I SAID TO TODD FIELD-- THE MAGICAL TODD FIELD.
OBVIOUSLY, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME BETWEEN DRINKS.
IT'S BEEN 16 YEARS SINCE HIS LAST FILM, "LITTLE IT CHILDREN."
NOT BECAUSE HE'S LAZY. HE'S PICKY.
NEED TO CONDUCT IN GERMAN SO I I SAID TO HIM I REALLY DID MADE A
ROD FOR MY OWN BACK. >> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A
QUICK BREAK, BUT IF YOU STICK AROUND I WILL ASK THEM TO STICK
AROUND BECAUSE WE WILL BE BACK WITH MORE CATE BLANCHETT,
EVERYBODY.