In 1999, under the direction of Anthony Minghella, Cate Blanchett joined the cast of The Talented Mr. Ripley, a story by Patricia Highsmith.
Blanchett played Meredith Logue, an American millionaire. Although not in a leading role, Blanchett’s presence was not insignificant, as she shone brightly in her screen appearances.
The rest of the cast included Matt Damon as Tom Ripley, a con man sent from New York to Italy to convince Dickie Greenleaf (played by Jude Law), a wealthy and spoiled playboy, to return home. Gwyneth Paltrow and Philip Seymour Hoffman also appeared in supporting roles.
The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $128.8 million worldwide. It received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor.
Woody Allen himself, when interviewed about why he chose Cate Blanchett to star in Blue Jasmine and whether he wrote the script with her in mind, said yes, although he first had to make sure she was available.
Allen even said that he had his own crush on Blanchett as a director, whom he first saw in Talented Mr. Ripley, and couldn’t help but wonder, “Who is that girl?” every time Cate appeared on screen.
