A luminous Aussie actress able to embody markedly disparate characters, Blanchett made her mark in her homeland as a formidable leading lady on stage at the Sydney Theatre Company. In 1998, with only a handful of films on her résumé, she captivated art-house aficionados as the title character in
Elizabeth. Portraying the Virgin Queen's tumultuous ascendancy to the throne, Blanchett was a revelation, capturing the monarch's passion and intelligence, and earning her first Oscar nod. Blanchett showed her range in her subsequent roles, quickly proving she was equally believable as quirky, contemporary-era gals, such as the nasal-voiced spouse of an air-traffic controller (
Pushing Tin), and a troubled Southern psychic (
The Gift). Drawing again on her regal bearing, Blanchett lent her considerable poise to the small but memorably imposing part of Elfin royal Galadriel in
The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Then, in 2004, she took home an Oscar for channeling Hollywood royalty in her portrayal of Academy Award-winning actress Katharine Hepburn in
The Aviator. In 2007, Blanchett became only the 11th performer to receive both supporting and leading category Oscar nominations in the same year, for her roles in
I'm Not There and
Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Married since 1997 to director Andrew Upton, the mother of three continues to appear in high-profile films, starring alongside Brad Pitt in
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Russell Crowe in
Robin Hood (2010).
Cate Blanchett Fast Facts:
- Went into acting after a trip to Egypt, where she was spotted and asked to be an extra in a boxing film.
- Firstborn son, Dashiell, was named after crime novelist Dashiell Hammett.
- Fainted while being fitted for a prosthetic belly to play a pregnant journalist in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and learned a few weeks later that she was pregnant with her second son.
- Brought one of Katharine Hepburn's white-silk evening gloves to the 77th annual Academy Awards ceremony for good luck--it paid off with a win for her role as Hepburn in The Aviator.
- Cate Blanchett Relationships:
- Bob Blanchett - Brother
- Dashiell John Upton - Son
- Andrew Upton - Husband
- Roman Robert Upton - Son
- Robert Blanchett - Father
- Genevieve Blanchett - Sister
- June Blanchett - Mother
- Ignatius Martin Upton - Son
- Cate Blanchett Awards:
- 2002 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 2005 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2007 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 1999 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Winner
- 2004 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 1998 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2004 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Winner
- 2006 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- 2008 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 2008 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Winner
- 2007 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2007 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- 2007 BAFTA Awards: Best Supporting Actress - Nominee
- 2007 BAFTA Awards: Best Leading Actress - Nominee
- 2004 BAFTA Awards: Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Winner
- 1999 BAFTA Awards: Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- 1998 BAFTA Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role - Winner
- 2008 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2007 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2007 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- 2004 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2004 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role - Winner
- 2003 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Winner
- 2002 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2001 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2001 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- 1998 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- College:
- Attended Melbourne University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; National Institute of Dramatic Art, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia (1992)