Cate Blanchett Reacts to 'Carol' Uproar: 'Who Cares If I Had Lesbian Relationships or Not?'

Cate Blanchett transforms into Antoine de Saint-Exupery‘s Little Prince on the cover of W magazine’s December/January issue.

Here’s what the 46-year-old actress had to share with the mag:

On the uproar over Carol‘s subject matter: “Art is supposed to be a provocation, not an education. In 2015, the point should be: Who cares if I had lesbian relationships or not? Call me old-fashioned, but I’ve always thought that my job as an actor was to raise and expand the audience’s sense of the universe.”

On the role of fashion in her films: “I love working with the costume designers on movies. You can visually represent the character through a dress or a bag or shoes. In Blue Jasmine, clothes illustrated my character’s demise. If I pair a Birkin bag with a knockoff sweater from Wal-Mart that looks like Chanel, I can subtly reveal the character, and I don’t have to play that emotions.”

On showing her wealth in Carol: “The mink was old and it kept falling apart. Between takes, Sandy Powell, the costume designer, would sew it back together by hand. I considered changing coats, but when you find the right thing, you know immediately: That coat was the one to tell Carol’s story. It was perfect.”

For more from Cate, visit WMagazine.com.