Ariana Greenblatt Says It Was 'So Cool' to ‘Watch a Legend' LikeBorderlandsCostar Cate Blanchett at 13 (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

At 13,Ariana Greenblattwalked onto the set ofBorderlandswith a star-studded cast consisting ofCate Blanchett,Kevin Hart,Jamie Lee CurtisandJack Black.Reflecting on that experience in PEOPLE’sAugust digital cover story, Greenblatt, who plays the destructive Tiny Tina, says she sat back and observed her cast mates — taking everything in."[Blachett is] such a boss and she’s so comfortable within herself and she’s so comfortable in the character," Greenblatt, now 16, says.“I can only describe it as she just sinks into that person and her walk is grounded in her faces, and it was so awesome to watch,” she adds. “And so cool that I was able to watch a legend like that at 13. So I’m like, ‘Hell yeah.'“Ariana Greenblatt and Cate Blanchett.Mindy Small/FilmMagic, Leon Bennett/GettyAs for the rest of the cast, they each left their mark on Greenblatt through simple moments on set."[Director] Eli [Roth] made me feel really comfortable,” she says. “Jamie [Lee Curtis] was always playing with my wig, which was nice, cause it was so itchy. So that made me feel better. Cate was always drinking her little drink and giving me little winks. Florian [Munteanu], I was bullying him and we’d say some really stupid jokes on set.“With Hart, Greenblatt quickly learned that their relationship would be about “tough love” — and that made her feel right at home.Borderlands cast.Jon Kopaloff/Getty"Kevin made me feel really comfortable because he would just bully me,” she recalls. “He started a rumor that I was eating dirt. I’m not kidding. People believed it. His kids believed it. To this day. I’m like, ‘How dare you?'““When I would get bored, and I do this now, I would find grass or dirt on the floor and I’d play with it in my hands,” she explains. “He thought I was eating it. I’m like, ‘How dare you?’ I eat. So he was like, ‘No one feeds you. You have to eat dirt.’ I’m like, ‘Homie, like calm down.'“It was also on the set of the video game-turned-movie that the cast threw Greenblatt amiddle school graduation party.“I graduated middle school from that set,” theBarbiestar previously told PEOPLE. “And I was feeling down in the dumps because all my friends had their graduation together… Like, ‘Damn, I missed my graduation.’ ”Then, one day, Greenblatt’s on-set teacher said, “put a cap and gown on me and my cap had Tina’s bunny ears on it.” The movie’s props team “super-glued bunny ears on my cap, the cutest thing ever.”“I hear the graduation music play in the massive sound stage and I see the entire crew, the entire cast, every extra on set,” she added. “I got a diploma, aBorderlandsdiploma! They had, like, a kill count on it. It was the craziest experience and it was such a shock and such a surprise. I’ll never forget it.“Blanchett, 55, leadsBorderlandsas an outlaw named Lilith who teams up with a motley crew. “The fate of the universe could be in their hands – but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other,” reads a synopsis.Borderlandsis now playing in theaters.

At 13,Ariana Greenblattwalked onto the set ofBorderlandswith a star-studded cast consisting ofCate Blanchett,Kevin Hart,Jamie Lee CurtisandJack Black.

Reflecting on that experience in PEOPLE’sAugust digital cover story, Greenblatt, who plays the destructive Tiny Tina, says she sat back and observed her cast mates — taking everything in.

“[Blachett is] such a boss and she’s so comfortable within herself and she’s so comfortable in the character,” Greenblatt, now 16, says.

“I can only describe it as she just sinks into that person and her walk is grounded in her faces, and it was so awesome to watch,” she adds. “And so cool that I was able to watch a legend like that at 13. So I’m like, ‘Hell yeah.'”

Ariana Greenblatt and Cate Blanchett.Mindy Small/FilmMagic, Leon Bennett/Getty

Mindy Small/FilmMagic, Leon Bennett/Getty

As for the rest of the cast, they each left their mark on Greenblatt through simple moments on set.

“[Director] Eli [Roth] made me feel really comfortable,” she says. “Jamie [Lee Curtis] was always playing with my wig, which was nice, cause it was so itchy. So that made me feel better. Cate was always drinking her little drink and giving me little winks. Florian [Munteanu], I was bullying him and we’d say some really stupid jokes on set.”

With Hart, Greenblatt quickly learned that their relationship would be about “tough love” — and that made her feel right at home.

Borderlands cast.Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Jon Kopaloff/Getty

“Kevin made me feel really comfortable because he would just bully me,” she recalls. “He started a rumor that I was eating dirt. I’m not kidding. People believed it. His kids believed it. To this day. I’m like, ‘How dare you?'”

“When I would get bored, and I do this now, I would find grass or dirt on the floor and I’d play with it in my hands,” she explains. “He thought I was eating it. I’m like, ‘How dare you?’ I eat. So he was like, ‘No one feeds you. You have to eat dirt.’ I’m like, ‘Homie, like calm down.'”

It was also on the set of the video game-turned-movie that the cast threw Greenblatt amiddle school graduation party.

“I graduated middle school from that set,” theBarbiestar previously told PEOPLE. “And I was feeling down in the dumps because all my friends had their graduation together… Like, ‘Damn, I missed my graduation.’ ”

Then, one day, Greenblatt’s on-set teacher said, “put a cap and gown on me and my cap had Tina’s bunny ears on it.” The movie’s props team “super-glued bunny ears on my cap, the cutest thing ever.”

“I hear the graduation music play in the massive sound stage and I see the entire crew, the entire cast, every extra on set,” she added. “I got a diploma, aBorderlandsdiploma! They had, like, a kill count on it. It was the craziest experience and it was such a shock and such a surprise. I’ll never forget it.”

Blanchett, 55, leadsBorderlandsas an outlaw named Lilith who teams up with a motley crew. “The fate of the universe could be in their hands – but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other,” reads a synopsis.

Borderlandsis now playing in theaters.

source: people.com