TWO-TIME ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING

ACTRESS CURRENTLY MAKING HER.

BROADWAY DEBUT IN "THE PRESENT."

PLEASE WELCOME CATE BLANCHETT!

♪ ♪ ♪

( APPLAUSE )

>> A STANDING OVATION.

>> Stephen, OF COURSE!

>> DO YOU GET THAT ALL THE TIME?

>> Stephen: UMMM... YET.

I WAS ABOUT TO BE HUMBLE, BUT

I'M NOT GOING TO.

IT'S LOVELY TO SEE YOU.

LISTEN, I'VE GOT A CONFESSION TO

MAKE.

I DON'T--

>> PUBLICLY.

>> Stephen: I DON'T GET STAR

STRUCK BUT I DO GET A LITTLE

CATE BLANCHETT STRUCK BECAUSE

I'M SUCH A HUGE FAN OF YOURS.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )

YOU'RE SUCH A BRILLIANT ACTRESS,

AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO THE

WHOLE GLADDIAL THING, BUT

EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE.

AND YOU'RE AN INTELLIGENT,

LOVELY PERSON.

A FASHION ICON.

>> OH, BUT I CAN'T BUT

DISAPPOINT.

YOU DON'T SEE ME FIRST THING IN

THE MORNING.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I DON'T WAKE

UP LIKE THIS.

>> Stephen: OH, NO.

WHAT ARE YOU LIKE AT HOME?

>> IT'S PRETTY UGLY AT 6:00

A.M., I LOOK LIKE IA CROSS

BETWEEN PHYLLIS DILLER AND --

>> Stephen: A GLADDIAL.

>> YES.

I'M COVERED IN-- I'M IN MY

PAJAMAS, WHICH I'VE BEEN WEARING

FOR-- I WEAR MY PAJAMAS MOST OF

THE TIME.

>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

>> I HAVE FOUR.

SO I'M COVERED IN PANCAKE MIX,

AND BANANAS AND VEGEMITE.

IT TAKES A TOLL.

>> Stephen: CAN YOU EXPLAIN

VEGEMITE TO ME?

I TASTED IT-- I'VE TASTED IT IN

NEW ZEALAND, AND IT WAS SHOCKING

TO ME.

>> THAT'S BECAUSE YOU, AS AN

AMERICAN, LIVE ON A DIET OF

SUGAR.

EVEN IF YOU DON'T LOOK-- DO WE

REALLY WANT TO GO HERE?

THERE'S SO MUCH-- THERE'S SO

MUCH TO LOVE ABOUT THIS

MAGNIFICENT COUNTRY.

>> Stephen: VEGEMITE?

IT TASTES TO ME LIKE SOMEONE

WENT, "I WONDER IF WE CAN FIND A

WAY TO MAKE SALT TASTE LIKE IT

WENT BAD AND IT'S BROWN."

>> THAT'S BECAUSE YOU SPREAD IT

ON LIKE PEANUT BUTTER.

AUSTRALIANS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO

EXPLAIN THIS PHENOMENON FOR

DECADES.

I CAN'T BELIEVE, BEING A JACKSON

FAN THAT YOU HAVEN'T KIND OF

CROSSED THAT BRIDGE.

>> Stephen: I TRIED IT.

I TRIED IT WHEN I WAS IN NEW

ZEALAND.

>> DID YOU PUT JAM ON IT.

>> Stephen: NO, AM I SUPPOSED

TO.

>> YOU PUT A TINY SCRAPE AND PUT

THE REST ON YOUR PAJAMAS.

>> Stephen: I DID HAVE A TINY

LITTLE SCRAPE THERE AND I CAN

STILL TASTE IT 10 YEARS LATER,

10 YEARS LATER.

MY SON, "MY YOUNGEST SON,

THOUGHT IT WAS A JAM AND TOOK A

GIANT BITE OF IT.

>> THAT WILL DO IT FOR YOU.

>> Stephen: IT WAS ONE OF THE

SADDEST FACES I HAVE SEEN IN MY

ENTIRE LIFE.

YOU WON TWO OSCARS.

NOMINATE FORWARD SEVEN.

>> THANK YOU FOR REMINDING

( APPLAUSE ).

>> Stephen: WHY NOT?

WHY NOT?

THE REASON I ASK IS THAT, YOU

KNOW, THERE WAS A HUGE

HULLABALOO AT THE OSCARS THIS

PART SUNDAY NIGHT.

>> OH, IT WASN'T THAT BAD!

>> Stephen: I'VE NEVER BEEN

BACKSTAGE.

CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST

HAVE BEEN LIKE FOR EVERYONE UP

THERE, ABSOLUTELY SO SHOCKING.

>> AWFUL.

IT'S LIKE SORT OF BEING MARRIED

TO THE WRONG PERSON.

IT'S-- BUT, YOU KNOW, AT FIRST

FOR ME WHAT WAS MOST UPSETTING

IS-- IN AUSTRALIA, THERE'S A--

WE HAVE A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL

SORT OF CULTURAL INDUSTRIES, BUT

OFTEN SUCCESS IS NOT REWARD.

BUT HERE IN THIS COUNTRY, THE

WONDERFUL THING ABOUT AMERICA IS

SUCCESS IS REWARDED.

AND BUTT NOW I THINK IN THE

LAST-- SINCE THE INAUGURATION,

THIS NOTION OF THE CULTURAL

ELITE HAS REALLY KIND OF GOT

GOING.

SO ANYONE WHO HAS GOT A VOICE

AND SUCCESS IN THE CULTURAL

INDUSTRIES IS SUDDENLY

MARGINALIZED OR CONSIDERED, YOU

KNOW, THEIR VOICE ISN'T

SIGNIFICANT OR WORTH BEING

PARENT OF THE, YOU KNOW, POPULAR

PARLANCE.

AND THEY KIND OF HANDED IT TO

THE ADMINISTRATION ON SUNDAY

NIGHT, THAT THEY'RE A BUNCH OF

DUFFERS.

>> Stephen: BECAUSE THEY

LOOKED LIKE IDIOTS.

>> BUT THEY'RE NOT.

>> Stephen: AND HE GETS TO

POINT AND GO, "HOLLYWOOD, SAD."

>> YSAD, WHICH IS SUCH A

PROFOUNDLY INTERESTING THING TO

SAY.

>> Stephen: YEAH.

>> HOLLYWOOD SAD.

>> Stephen: HOLLYWOOD SAD.

MAKE ME HAPPY, NOT SAD.

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: WELL, WHAT'S THE

SECRET TO WINNING AN OSCAR?

AS SOON AS THEY GIVE IT TO YOU,

RUN OFF STAGE BEFORE THEY CAN

GIVE IT TO "MOONLIGHT."

>> YES.

AT LEAST TWO FILMS GOT TO WIN.

>> Stephen: IT'S NICE.

>> IT'S NICE, ISN'T IT?

IT'S REALLY NICE.

>> Stephen: IT'S TWICE THE

OSCARS.

>> THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO IT NEXT

YEAR.

>> Stephen: NOW, YOU ARE ON

BROADWAY DEBUT.

I'M SO SURPRISED THIS IS YOUR

BROADWAY DEBUT BECAUSE YOU'VE

DONE SO MUCH THEATER IN

AUSTRALIA.

>> MY HUSBAND AND I RAN THE

SYDNEY THEATRE, THIS IS THE LAST

PLAY HE PROGRAMMED.

>> Stephen: IT'S AT THE ETHEL

BARRYMORE THEATRE IN NEW YORK.

>> THAT'S ME.

>> Stephen: IT'S CALLED "THE

PRESENT."

IT'S A CHEKHOV PLAY.

I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH "THE

PRESENT."

>> IT'S BECAUSE CHEKHOV WROTE IT

FOR AN ACTRESS WHO WAS REJECTED

IT --

>> Stephen: WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH

FOR THE WOMAN HE HAD A CRUTCH

ON?

>> NO, AND HE PUT IT, AS RICHARD

SAYS IN HIS SOCK DRAWER AND IT

WAS NEVER FOUND.

IT WAS A BROKEN FRAGMENT OF A

WORK, AND WHAT PEOPLE DON'T

REALIZE ABOUT CHEKHOV IS IT'S

FUN GLE IT'S A COMEDY.

>> "CHERRY ORCHARD" HIS MOST

WELL KNOWN PLAY SAY COMEDY IN

FOUR ACTS AND IT'S ALWAYS PLAYED

FOR THE MISERY.

BOOTS PEOPLE IN A MIDLIFE

CRISIS, AND NOTHING COULD BE

MORE HILARIOUS AND ABSURD AND

TRAGIC.

LET'S FACE IT.

YOU'RE NOT THERE YET.

>> Stephen: NO, NO, NO.

NO, I CAN'T WAIT TO GET TO MOI

40s.

( LAUGHTER )

( APPLAUSE )

NOW, YOUR CHARACTER--

>> IS TURNING 40.

>> Stephen: IS TURNING 40, IS

TURNING 40.

>> YES.

>> Stephen: YOU SAID THE PLAY

REMINDS YOU OF THINGS THAT ARE

HAPPENING IN THE WORLD RIGHT

NOW.

HOW SO.

>> ANDREW HAS UPDATED IT TO THE

SORT OF 90 NECESSARY RUSSIA.

SO WHEN PIEWTEN IS COMING TO

POWER, WHICH SEEMS PARTICULARLY

RELEVANT TO THIS-- WHAT'S GOING

ON IN THE COUNTRY AT THE MOMENT.

AND WITH THE RISE OF THE

OLIGARCHS.

SO IT'S ALL ABOUT, AS YOU MOVE

FORWARD IN LIFE, WHAT'S YOUR

MORAL COMPASS?

WHAT DO YOU-- WHERE DOES

KINDNESS AND HUMANITY SIT IN A

REALLY BRUTAL WORLD.

>> Stephen: CATE BLANCHETT,

WHAT IS YOUR MORAL COMPASS?

WHERE DOES KINDNESS AND HUMANITY

SIT NAY BRUTAL WORLD?

THOSE ARE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO

ASK RIGHT NOW.

>> IT'S IN MY VAGINA.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )

OKAY, OKAY.

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

>> Stephen: THAT TAKES-- THAT

TAKES CARE OF MY NEXT TWO

QUESTIONS.

( LAUGHTER )

YOUR CHARACTER SAYS THAT IT'S

EASIER TO DO (BLEEP) THAT YOU

DON'T ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

>> NO, IT'S SO HARD TO DO WHAT

YOU REALLY, REALLY DESPERATELY

WANT IN LIFE.

IT'S SO EASY TO DO (BLEEP) YOU

DON'T CARE ABOUT EITHER WAY.

AIN'T THAT THE TRUTH?

>> Stephen: ARE THERE THINGS

YOU'RE TEMPTED TO DO, "OH, IT

LOOKS LIKE THAT WOULD BE FUN TO

DO AND I DON'T CARE ABOUT IT AND

I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT"?

>> LIKE BUNGEE JUMPING OR

SOMETHING INSANE LIKE THAT.

>> Stephen: IF YOU WEREN'T

BEING AN ACTRESS, DO YOU HAVE

SOME OTHER DREAM.

>> I STUDIED ARCHITECTURE FOR A

WHILE AT UNIVERSITY AND THOUGHT

I WOULD GO INTO GALLERY

CURATION.

SOMEONE SAID TO ME IN HIGH

SCHOOL, "YOU SHOULD FIND WHAT

YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND YOU

SHOULD SORT OF FIND A WAY TO

BRING THAT INTO A PROFESSION.

EXPIVMENT THOUGHT WHAT AM I

PASSIONATE ABOUT?

I THOUGHT I HAVE A PASSIONATE

HATRED FOR PLASTIC BAGS BUT I

COULDN'T QUITE BRIDGE HOW I

COULD MAKE A CAREER OUT OF THAT.

OTHER PEOPLE HAVE, HANDICRAFTS

--

>> Stephen: GUYS IN THE ORANGE

VESTS ON THE HIGHWAY WITH A

STICK AND A NAIL ON THE END.

>> I CAN ALWAYS GO THERE.

>> Stephen: COMMUNITY SERVICE.

IT'S WAITING FOR YOU OUT THERE.

YOUR CHARACTER HAS AN

EXISTENTIAL CRISIS TURNING 40.

HOW ARE THE 40s TREATING YOU,

YOUNG LADY?

>> I DON'T KNOW YET.

I'M NOT THERE.

I'M LIKING TACTUALLY.

I LOVED MY 30s SO MUCH AND I

THOUGHT MOVING INTO MY 40s WAS

GOING TO BE A CAR CRASH.