The director Cate Blanchett called “pretty close to perfect”
When it comes to demonstrating range and versatility as an actor, few can hold a candle to Cate Blanchett, from playing Galadriel in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies to intense dramatic performances such as her starring role in Tár to even playing a version of Bob Dylan in I’m Not There. If that’s not range, I don’t know what it is.
With all of those accomplishments, it’s safe to assume she’s worked with some of the biggest names in directing. But in Blanchett’s view, who stands out the most? While we may not know for certain, one of the directors she holds in particularly high regard might not be the first that comes to mind.
The filmmaker who received the nod in this instance worked with Blanchett on the 2003 western The Missing, and she describes working with him as a thoroughly pleasant experience. The director in question is Ron Howard. During an interview where she was promoting the film, Blanchett recounts her experience working with Howard, praising his ability to create “an engaging and exciting film” while still leaving enough room for “the human moments”, as Blanchett believes “acting is all about revealing what it means to be human”.
Before his career as a director, Ron Howard had several notable acting roles, including a part in George Lucas’s pre-Star Wars feature American Graffiti, a major part on the television show Happy Days, and over 200 episodes of The Andy Griffith Show as a child. As a director, Howard has built a prolific body of work with films such as Apollo 13, The Da Vinci Code, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Solo: A Star Wars Story. He is also the father of actor Bryce Dallas Howard and the brother of actor Clint Howard.
While The Missing isn’t one of his most well-known pictures, it boasts a star-studded cast, including Blanchett, Tommy Lee Jones, Val Kilmer, and Elisabeth Moss. Having worked with some of the biggest names and directing many high-profile projects, Howard is clearly pretty well-liked within the industry. Blanchett’s comments certainly paint a good picture of him, as she also goes on to say that Howard “respects the people he’s working with and he’s very collaborative (…) He’s truly an extraordinary not only director but a person.”
In an industry where actors are often mistreated or have to endure gruelling production hell, it’s refreshing to hear an instance where that hasn’t been the case. Blanchett notes the transparency and clear communication shown by Howard on set: “He will always go again when he can, and he’ll tell you when he can’t.” It’s a far cry from the unruly perfectionism of a director like Stanley Kubrick, who was infamous for shooting a huge amount of takes for his scenes, often over 100, reducing actors to tears and mental turmoil.
So maybe when you first saw the title of this article, you thought of someone like Steven Spielberg or the aforementioned Peter Jackson. It’s less likely your mind went straight to Ron Howard or that The Missing even cropped up when recounting Cate Blanchett’s filmography. In spite of that, Howard manages to stand tall alongside some of the most famous directorial figures in Hollywood, at least in Blanchett’s view.
