I would never do-- - Really?

- Oh no, I have stage fright, I would forget my name.

- [Cate] Really?

- Lose my sense of where I am, oh yeah.

It's so funny.

- But you have such a profound sense of audience,

you can tell you have an amazing

rapport with the camera. - It's a lot of fear.

If I have to go on stage

just to do a presentation or something like that,

I can't sleep until the presentation is over.

- But that's worse,

theater's not like that. - Oh it's horrible.

- Theater's like an extended sleepover

with a bunch of friends.

- No no no no

no no no no. - But giving

a speech as yourself, (Michelle laughs) that is terrifying.

- No no no no, just being on stage and looking out

at the sea of faces (upbeat music) is terrifying.

- Hello Michelle Yeoh.

(Michelle laughs)

- Hello Cate Blanchett.

- I'm really nervous.

(Michelle laughs)

I'd be much happier if it was just us

without 100 of our friends

talking. - You are nervous?

- Yeah I'm-- - I've been having nightmares

for since I knew that I was doing this with you.

- I know, well I mean we met,

I think we met in was it

in Hong Kong? - Telluride.

- No no I think we met in, you probably don't remember,

maybe you were drunk.

- I think I was. - But I think.

- Most likely.

(Michelle laughs)

- But you were in Hong Kong

and I felt you before I saw you, that it wasn't.

- Oh wow oh.

- Not in an inappropriate way (Michelle laughs)

but there's something about your presence.

- Oh my good-- - Which is and you've just

worked with one of the best humans in the world,

Jamie Lee Curtis.

You have this similar thing (Michelle sighs)

where you just have this aura.

And I turned around and there was Michelle Yeoh.

So I was quite-- - I can't believe

you're saying that. - Yeah I don't know

I was quite overwhelmed. - Oh my god.

I mean I have loved you from your first film

and followed you all the way across in awe with deep respect

and okay envy.

(Michelle and Cate laugh)

- Envy's a good motivator.

I think-- - Yes it is

because you know-- - Can be a good motivator.

- It's true, I aspire to have a career like yours.

- Oh no no no.

- Oh yes yes yes. - But no but you

have just done something which seems to be

like a synthesis of everything

that you've done over the years.

Which of course is-- - Yeah I know what you mean.

- Which is one of the greatest movies of all time.

- "Everything Everywhere

"All at Once". - "Everything Everywhere

"All at Once".

(Michelle mumbling)

(man grunts)

- I feel like I've been in rehearsal

for the last 40 years for this role.

(Michelle laughs)

- Yeah I know 'cause if you look right back

to "Yes, Madam!" And then all of the stuff that you've done

which has been through so many different means.

It all seems to come together in that movie

and it's just so inventive and moving.

Did it feel like you were bringing to bear

like decades worth of work onto that experience?

- It started with these two crazy guys,

that they had the courage, the audacity,

to say "you know we love movies and we want to do this."

And they said "let's do this

"and throw everything that we wanted to do

"but was not allowed to do."

And they initially wrote it for a man, yeah it was written.

And I think it's the norm

because it would be easier to finance.

- [Cate] Right.

- Right it would be easier to understand

that a guy would multi verse and jump

and all those kinda things.

- I don't know, I think women--

- No no I think woman. - We understand

the multi verse. - That's why--

- We live in the multi verse.

- Yes.

But then they came back and they realized it didn't work.

And so they changed into a mother role,

which actually suits the Daniel so much more

because they are surrounded by very strong smart women.

And the two of them are kinda dopey,

(Cate laughs) adorable, and but

you know-- - In a genius

kinda way. - In a genius kinda way.

So I must say, when I received the script

it was a little overwhelming,

'cause I've been in the business for a while now.

And the opportunities

get a little narrower and narrower with time,

you know because you're getting past your prime time.

I just turned 60 this year,

so the box sort of gets bigger

and you're getting put into that.

And its been a while since I was offered like the lead role.

I have amazing supporting roles and things

like in "Crazy Rich Asians" in "Shang-Chi".

- And also you know made

some of the most memorable scenes in cinema,

sometimes with no words at all.

- I think that's really important right?

I mean it's like your performance in "Tár",

it's like the energy, so dynamic and so real

that you feel that it has to come from all the way inside.

It's not a word just that says "I'm angry"

it's like (Michelle grunts) I can feel this

and it's coming from here.

And that's what you do in all your performances.

You're like a comedian that goes from this to that,

you know you're an elf, and then you're a queen,

and then you're this.

And with this performance

it's like it takes your breath away.

(soft orchestral music)

- Please, please, please, you must watch.

- For me what is very bold,

'cause Tár, she's not the most perfect likable character.

And sometimes I think when you don't have the confidence

as an actor you stay away from those roles,

because it's hard to,

because it brings up a lot of questions.

Why would you try and portray someone like that?

Does it have redemption?

Are you trying to, do you judge her,

or say well what if you were in her footsteps,

would that happen to you,

that the sense of power or that gets into your head?

So it's very interesting the way Todd

has approached the subject matter because he wrote it.

At first I thought it was based on a real character.

- But it's funny you say that Evelyn in Everywhere.

- Everything All at Once.

- Everything all (Michelle laughs) once it's everything,

that that was originally written for a man.

Because when Todd was thinking about it

Tár was originally

a male role. - For a man.

- And in a way

'cause the film is like a meditation on power.

You would've had a much less nuanced examination of that

if you'd had a-- - I think.

- 'Cause we understand what the corruption

of male power looks like. - Right.

We see it too often right? - But we don't,

we need to unpick

what power is it itself. - Right.

'Cause it's not gender biased,

that sense of power is you know?

- Well it's a force isn't it?

- Yeah it's a position of-- - I mean you understand power.

I mean you have it from your little toe

all the way (Michelle laughs)

up to the little hair in your head.

But that's what I