NEW YORK, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Cate Blanchett says she had never heard of Veronica Guerin before Joel Schumacher asked her to play the murdered Irish journalist.
But the Golden Globe-nominated actress says she was intrigued to learn how hard Guerin fought to expose and fight drug dealers in 1990s Dublin -- even at the expense of her own life -- and how the woman's work ultimately led to changes in Irish drug laws.
"Usually, it's not just the character that draws me into a project, it's the circumstances in which that character is set," the actress told UPI's Karen Butler in a recent interview.
"And there are a lot of extraordinary women who have lived recently, historical figures, but unless you can find the point of drama to set them in, then their extraordinary lives don't become films. So, when Joel called me, I didn't know anything about Veronica, and he sent me a '60 Minutes' special about her, and I instantly found her fascinating. ...
"So, I was really taken by her, and then Joel described what he wanted to make as a dance of death between her and (the major drug lord) so that everything is heading toward that point. Suddenly, I saw the focus for the drama."
The star of "The Missing" and "Elizabeth" was nominated for a Golden Globe Thursday for her portrayal of the title character in "Veronica Guerin."
