Why Cate Blanchett Said Yes to Black Bag Before Even Reading the Spy Film's Script
The Australian actress stars opposite Michael Fassbender in the new spy drama, directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by David Koepp.
Steven Soderbergh and Cate Blanchett reunited for the director's latest project, Black Bag, an intriguing drama that blends together an array of genres.
The film, written by David Koepp (Mission Impossible, Jurassic Park), follows married spies George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) and Kathryn St. Jean (Blanchett), who are deeply in love with each other. But when George is tasked with finding a mole within the ranks of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the organization they both work for, the strength of their love is tested.
Kathryn, along with four other NCSC staffers in London, played by Regé-Jean Page, Marisa Abela, Naomie Harris, and Tom Burke, are all looked closely at by George.
RELATED: Black Bag: Cast and Characters of Steven Soderbergh's Spy Drama Film, Explained
While it's easy to see why the fascinating story would draw Blanchett — or any actor — to the role of Kathryn, as it turns out, she says never even read the script before saying yes to the movie.
Read on to find out why, along with other fun facts about Blanchett's role in Black Bag, which opens in theaters only on Friday, March 14.
Why did Cate Blanchett agree to star in Black Bag before reading the script?
"I just said, ‘Who am I playing?’ Blanchett revealed in the film production notes, adding that that she quickly hopped on board. "It was written by David and directed by Steven. That’s all I needed to know."
Black Bag is the third project that Blanchett and Soderbergh have worked on together.
"Steven’s got amazing panache and range as a filmmaker," Blanchett continued. "He doesn’t stay in the same lane. He understands the outsider’s perspective these characters have, the way they can move almost panther-like through the world."
Blanchett also completely trusted Koepp's work as a screenwriter. "David knows how to make great, propulsive narrative dramas that are also really fun,” she said. “He understands how to play with audience expectations in a delicious way, and then he delivers something even more satisfying than what you were expecting.”
Soderbergh is just as big a fan of Blanchett as she is of his work. The director noted that he previously worked with the Australian actress on other projects, including the 2006 crime film The Good German.
“Over the years, she’s always kept in touch to find out if there is anything we might work on together, which I’m flattered by," Soderbergh said. "When there is, she gets it immediately.”
Why Cate Blanchett was perfect for the role of Kathryn St. Jean
Of course, it certainly helped that Blanchett is a talented actress with the ability to convey all the nuance required for the role of Kathryn St. Jean.
Soderbergh explained that Blanchett was a perfect choice for Kathryn, since the part needed someone who was not only an impressive actor, but who could pull off old-fashioned Hollywood glamour. "Cate just has both these qualities,” Soderbergh said.
Fassbender, who plays Kathryn's husband George in Black Bag, shared that Blanchett not only brought all the qualities to her character that the script notes called for, but even some that he didn't see specified there.
"Cate also brings something that I didn’t see on the page," he explained. "There’s a lot of ambiguity in her performance. Kathryn has built a sturdy exterior wall even for George, but there is vulnerability within her as well. As their colleague Freddie says, the one thing that you can count on is that they’ll do anything for one another."
Is Cate Blanchett's Black Bag character based on a real spy?
While the filmmakers, as well as some cast members, spoke to some real-life spies involved with the NCSC, who shared limited details about the trade, Blanchett revealed that she independently tried, and failed, to find a spy to advise her on her character.
"I suppose if I could find one, she probably wouldn’t be doing her job very well," Blanchett said. "But Kathryn wasn’t based on any one person. This is more a portrait of their marriage and they happen to be in espionage."
