During an interview at the Rome Film Festival, the 'Carol' star points out why she disagrees with implications that actors can only plays a character when it's close to their experience.

• Oct 22, 2018

AceShowbiz - Cate Blanchett has defended straight actors who nab the roles of gay characters in film and TV.

Of late, Hollywood producers have been criticised for giving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) roles to straight actors, and earlier this year, Scarlett Johansson pulled out of playing a transgender crime boss in upcoming movie "Rub & Tug" following a backlash.

But during a recent interview at the Rome Film Festival, Cate said she would "fight to the death" for her right to play whatever role she so chooses.

The 49-year-old, who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance as a frustrated housewife who embarks on a forbidden affair with a female shop assistant in 2015 film "Carol", disagreed that an actor only really knows a character if they have "shared experiences".

"I will fight to the death for the right to suspend disbelief and play roles beyond my experience," she fired. "I think it provides a lot of opportunity, but the downside of it is that we now, particularly in America, I think, we expect and only expect people to make a profound connection to a character when it's close to their experience."

She also revealed that when she and co-star Rooney Mara signed on to star in "Carol", the studio struggled to get it off the ground because of the lesbian storyline.

And Cate, who is married to Australian playwright Andrew Upton, is now desperate for more LGBTQ films to be made in Hollywood.

"Carol was a real labour of love for me. The film, I think now would be made in a heartbeat, but eight years ago, it was a very difficult film to get up," she added. "For me if something is difficult to make, it's like a red rag to a bull. It makes me want to make it more."