Blue Jasmine premiere: Cate Blanchett on taming impatient Woody Allen

Cate Blanchett told last night of how she managed to persuade famously impatient director Woody Allen to let her take her time.

Blanchett joined co-star Sally Hawkins on a blue carpet in London's Leicester Square for the premiere of Allen's new film Blue Jasmine.

The actresses play sisters in the film. Elegant New York socialite Jasmine (Blanchett) is forced to move in with her down-to-earth sister Ginger (Hawkins) in San Francisco after she finds herself bankrupt and broken.

Allen is notorious for working very quickly and likes to shoot each scene in just one take.

Blanchett, 44, revealed: "I'd heard that and I thought, 'God, we're going to work really quickly.'

"But Sally and I found that we got the courage to ask for another go at it.

"Because Jasmine is somebody who's breaking a lot, and I wanted to make sure I gave Woody enough options in the editing room. So if I put it that way, then he'd often let us go again."

Blanchett wore an off-the-shoulder black Givenchy couture gown to the premiere while Hawkins was wearing a vintage black Valentino dress and Louboutin shoes.

British actress Hawkins previously worked with Allen on 2007 thriller Cassandra's Dream.

She said: "He's very direct! Very honest. He doesn't suffer fools. He has no time! There's no time, in his mind. But I love that honesty. He says it like it is, and if it's not working, he will say something. But more often than not, if you're doing okay, he will just let you do it. He doesn't really go in for chit chat."

The 77-year-old filmmaker has directed more than 40 films, including Annie Hall and Manhattan, and has won four Oscars. He has recently made a rare return to acting in John Turturro's comedy Fading Gigolo.

Both actresses batted off talk of the Oscar-buzz surrounding the film, but were full of praise for Allen.

Blanchett said: "I think he absolutely loves women, in all their mad, complex, crazy, hilarious glory. And as a dramatist he's created some of the most memorable female characters on screen.

"And when I read the script of Blue Jasmine I thought, this really is a part to swing a cat in."

:: Blue Jasmine opens in cinemas on Friday September 27.

Cate Blanchett at the London premiere of Blue Jasmine

 

PA