Cate Blanchett Thought Doing Katharine Hepburn’s Accent in ‘The Aviator’ Was ‘Crucial’

Cate Blanchett is one of the most acclaimed actors of her generation. With two Academy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards to her credit, Blanchett has received overwhelming critical acclaim. Blanchett has portrayed several historical figures throughout her career, including her brilliant turn as actor Katharine Hepburn in the biographical drama The Aviator. Blanchett dove headfirst into the role of Hepburn. And she revealed in interviews that she worked incredibly hard to master the actor’s iconic accent.

‘The Aviator’ features a star-studded cast

Released in 2004, The Aviator tells the story of filmmaker and aviation enthusiast Howard Hughes. Portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio, Hughes moves in major Hollywood circles, spending time with many actors and directors. Early in the film, the character forms a romantic attachment with actor Katharine Hepburn, played by Cate Blanchett. Ultimately, the two had a short-lived affair. The acclaimed actor grew tired of the controlling ways and worsening OCD symptoms. She eventually moves on to establish a relationship with her Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner co-star Spencer Tracy.

While the film primarily focuses on Howard Hughes, Blanchett made a splash by perfectly embodying the iconic American star. By the time she took on the part, Blanchett was already a Hollywood heavyweight. But she took the role very seriously, concentrating on mastering Katharine Hepburn’s distinct mannerisms and accent.

Cate Blanchett worked hard to master Katharine Hepburn’s distinctive accent

Although Cate Blanchett is Australian-born, she was able to master Katharine Hepburn’s distinctive Mid-Atlantic accent. In a 2004 profile by The New York Times, the publication notes that “Hepburn’s distinctive voice, loud, clipped and with a pronounced upper-class New England accent, that became crucial to Ms. Blanchett’s performance.” Voice coach Tim Monich did vocal exercises with Blanchett daily so that the actor could practice getting the tone and dialect right.

Additionally, Blanchett watched many of Hepburn’s classic films, studying the actor’s mannerisms and movements. In a 2004 interview with HFPA journalists, Blanchett talked about the iconic performer. “Kate Hepburn was a deeply private woman, so we were trying to unlock the human being while also watching her body of work and paying nods to certain performances,” she said. As reported by the Golden Globe Awards website, Blanchett said she “was trying to chart Hepburn’s development into who we iconically know her as, which is when she hit the screens in Philadelphia Story, that’s when our sense of Hepburn as a woman and as an actress crystallized.”

Cate Blanchett received acclaim for her work in ‘The Aviator’

Blanchett developed a lot of admiration for Hepburn while working on The Aviator. “I find her fearlessness very inspiring, because you have to risk failure, otherwise you don’t keep developing,” Blanchett noted. “She had enormous failures, but she kept going, she wasn’t a frightened woman, so I admire her desire to be true to her own tastes as an actor, and her tenacity.” Ultimately, Blanchett’s hard work paid off. Not only did The Aviator win five Academy Awards, including Best Film Editing and Best Cinematography, but Blanchett took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

She also won Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role at the 11th Screen Actors Guild Awards and Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the British Film Academy Awards. Blanchett’s role helped solidify her status as a Hollywood icon, a star unafraid of tackling even the most challenging parts.