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Cate Blanchett - Source: ONE News
As president of the Foreign Correspondents Association of Australia and the South Pacific (FCA), every now and then I lunch with key note speakers at FCA functions.
Last month I dined with former Australia Prime Minister John Howard, more recently it was Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett. Aside from winning Oscars, Ms Blanchett also runs the Sydney Theatre Company with her playwright husband Andrew Upton.
Cate and Andrew readily accepted an invite from the FCA to talk about their plans for the theatre and their desire to help protect the environment.
The function took place a restaurant attached to the Sydney Theatre Company that offered unspoiled views across Sydney Harbour. I was welcoming guests, including NZ General Consulate, Martin Welsh and his Canadian and Swiss counterparts when Ms Blanchett and Mr Upton walked in. Well, Andrew walked in while Cate sort of glided through the door, wearing a grey dress and high heels.
After the introductory pleasantries we made our way to the head table and took our seats. Cate sat on my left and Andrew to her left. The conversation bounced from WikiLeaks to Oprah Winfrey's Australian adventure to good Vietnamese restaurants and Christmas holidays. I wouldn't be talking out of school to say that Cate Blanchett might be one of the most elegant women on the planet but beneath it all, the Melbourne born actress is a down to earth Aussie girl and Andrew Upton, a top notch Aussie bloke.
After my opening welcome to about 80 guests, Andrew took the stage and expressed passion and excitement for the European flavour the Theatre will inject into its plays next year. Indeed, the talented playwright was so caught up in the journey ahead he forgot to introduce Cate to the podium when he wrapped up. In a moment of comedy, Andrew with his head down, sheepishly returned to the stage and introduced Cate.
Cate floated up the stairs, slipped on her dark framed reading glasses and once the applause died down, wryly said: "Thank you, husband" - with the emphasis being on the word 'husband'.
With climate change being so close to her heart, Cate spoke of the need to address the issues faced by society and her plan to use the theatre to do so. The Oscar winner spoke about her and Andrew's commitment to cut the theatre's greenhouse emissions and persuade other businesses in Sydney to do the same.
They've just installed nearly 2000 solar panels on the theatre's roof and imported special energy saving lights from NZ. The new rooftop solar power system will reportedly produce up to 70 percent of the company's power supply, which is enough energy to power 46 average homes.
"If theatre doesn't engage with the big issues that face human beings and society generally, then it very quickly becomes irrelevant," Cate said.
The mother of three's passion to save the planet stems from her work as an Australian conservation ambassador. In 2007, Cate had timers installed on all the showers at her Sydney mansion.
During the Question and Answer session that followed, I asked Cate if she was willing to take more of an active role in fighting climate change, much like the work George Clooney and Angelina Jolie do for the their respective causes.
Cate told me she is willing to do whatever it takes. She said she felt it was her responsibility, not just as an international star but simply as a human being.
Read more Steve Marshall opinion
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