Cate Blanchett Confirmed to Guest Star on ‘Documentary Now!’

Cate Blanchett in a scene from Carol
Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett in a scene from ‘Carol.’ (Photo Credit: TWC)

Oscar winner Cate Blanchett (Carol, Blue Jasmine) will have a guest starring role in the Documentary Now! episode “Waiting for the Artist.” The series, created by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and Rhys Thomas, will return for a new seven episode season on February 20, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT.

According to IFC’s official announcement, Cate Blanchett will play a world-renowned performance artist who feels pressured to put on the show of her life. The “Waiting for the Artist” episode was shot in Budapest, Hungary earlier this summer.

“IFC is on a bit of a roll. On the heels of two Emmy nominations and tremendous second quarter growth, IFC now has a two-time Oscar winner in an episode of Documentary Now!. Cate’s portrayal of an art world superstar has her doing it all: performance art, comedy, and even her own stunts,” stated acting IFC General Manager Blake Callaway.

The series is executive produced by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, Rhys Thomas, Lorne Michaels, Alex Buono, and Andrew Singer. SNL‘s Thomas and Buono are Documentary Now!‘s directors. Oscar winner Dame Helen Mirren (The Queen) returns as the series’ host.

Previous guest stars have included Faye Dunaway, Mia Farrow, Maya Rudolph, and John Slattery.

The Plot: The Emmy nominated Documentary Now! is known for lovingly paying homage to the world of documentaries. Drawing inspiration from the 2012 documentary Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present, which follows conceptual artist Abramovic as she prepares for her art exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, “Waiting for the Artist” follows internationally acclaimed performance artist Izabella Barta (Blanchett) as she prepares for a major career retrospective, while reconciling her relationship with her former lover Dimo Van Omen (Armisen) – an infamous provocateur of the art world.