Cate Blanchett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cate Blanchett
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Cate Blanchett at the 2024 Venice Film Festival
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Catherine Élise Blanchett
14 May 1969 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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| Years active | 1990–present |
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Full list |
| Board member of | Sydney Theatre Company |
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| Children | 4 |
| Awards | Full list |
Catherine Élise Blanchett (born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor and film producer. She is known as one of the best actors of her time. Cate Blanchett is famous for her amazing acting in many different types of movies and plays.
She has won many awards, including two Academy Awards (Oscars), four British Academy Film Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. She has also been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award.
Cate Blanchett studied at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. She started her acting career on stage in Australia in 1992. Her first movie role was in 1997. She became famous worldwide for playing Queen Elizabeth I in the movie Elizabeth (1998). This role earned her her first Oscar nomination.
She won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for playing Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator (2004). Later, she won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Blue Jasmine (2013). Cate Blanchett has been nominated for more Oscars than any other Australian actor.
Her most popular movies include The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), Cinderella (2015), and Thor: Ragnarok (2017).
Blanchett has acted in over twenty stage plays. From 2008 to 2013, she and her husband, Andrew Upton, were in charge of the creative side of the Sydney Theatre Company. She also acted in and produced the short TV series Mrs. America (2020) and Disclaimer (2024).
Cate Blanchett has received several special awards. The Australian government gave her the Centenary Medal in 2001. She was also made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2017. In 2012, the French government honored her with the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. She has also received special degrees from several universities. In 2007, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Cate Blanchett was born Catherine Elise Blanchett on 14 May 1969. She grew up in Ivanhoe, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Her mother, June, was a property developer and teacher. Her father, Robert, was from Texas, USA. He was a US Navy officer who later worked in advertising. They met when his ship stopped in Melbourne.
When Cate was ten, her father passed away from a heart attack. Her mother then raised Cate and her two siblings. Cate has an older brother and a younger sister. Her family background includes English, Scottish, and French roots.
Cate has said that as a child, she was "part extrovert, part wallflower." When she was a teenager, she liked to wear clothes usually worn by boys. She also went through goth and punk phases. At one point, she even shaved her head.
She went to Ivanhoe East Primary School and then to Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School and Methodist Ladies' College. There, she discovered her love for acting. Before becoming an actor, she worked at a nursing home.
After high school, she started studying economics and fine arts at the University of Melbourne. But she left after one year to travel. While in Egypt, she was asked to be an extra in an Egyptian boxing movie called Kaboria (1990). She took the job because she needed money.
When she returned to Australia, she moved to Sydney. She then enrolled at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). She graduated in 1992 with a degree in fine arts.
Career Highlights
Becoming a Star (1992–2000)
Cate Blanchett's first stage role was in 1992 in the play Oleanna for the Sydney Theatre Company. That same year, she also played Clytemnestra in Sophocles' Electra. Her performance in Electra was highly praised.
In 1993, she won two awards from the Sydney Theatre Critics. She was the first actor to win both Best Newcomer and Best Actress in the same year. She also played Ophelia in a famous production of Hamlet in 1994–1995.
Cate Blanchett made her first movie appearance in Paradise Road (1997). She played an Australian nurse during World War II. Her first main role was in Oscar and Lucinda (1997). Critics praised her acting, and Variety magazine said she was "bound to become a major star." She also won an award for her role in the comedy Thank God He Met Lizzie (1997).
In 1998, Cate Blanchett played a young Elizabeth I in the historical movie Elizabeth. This movie made her famous around the world. She won a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award for this role. She also received her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Critics loved her performance. The New York Times said her acting "brings spirit, beauty and substance."
The next year, she appeared in the short film Bangers (1999). She also starred in the comedy Pushing Tin (1999) and the popular movie The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999). For The Talented Mr. Ripley, she received another BAFTA nomination.
The Lord of the Rings and More Success (2001–2007)
Cate Blanchett played the elf leader Galadriel in Peter Jackson's very popular The Lord of the Rings movie series (2001–2003). These movies were a huge success and earned billions of dollars worldwide.
In 2001, she also acted in different types of movies. These included the dramas Charlotte Gray and The Shipping News. She also starred in the American crime-comedy Bandits, which earned her more award nominations.
In 2002, she starred in Heaven. Her acting in this movie was highly praised. In 2003, she continued to play many different roles. She was in the final Lord of the Rings movie, the western The Missing, and Coffee and Cigarettes. She also played the main character in the true story movie Veronica Guerin.
In 2005, Cate Blanchett won her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. This was for her amazing portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator (2004). She was the first actor to win an Oscar for playing another Oscar-winning actor. She also won an Australian Film Institute award for her role in the Australian movie Little Fish (2005).
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In 2006, she acted in the play Hedda Gabler. She then starred with Brad Pitt in the movie Babel. This movie received seven Oscar nominations. She also appeared in The Good German with George Clooney and the thriller Notes on a Scandal with Dame Judi Dench. Cate Blanchett received her third Oscar nomination for her role in Notes on a Scandal.
In 2007, Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. She had a small, uncredited role in the comedy Hot Fuzz (2007). She gave her payment for this role to charity. She played Queen Elizabeth I again in the movie Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007). She also played Jude Quinn, one of six versions of Bob Dylan, in the movie I'm Not There.
She won awards for her role as Jude Quinn, including a Golden Globe. At the 80th Academy Awards, she received two Oscar nominations. She was nominated for Best Actress for Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Best Supporting Actress for I'm Not There. This made her the first actress to be nominated twice for playing the same role in different movies.
Leading the Sydney Theatre Company (2008–2011)
In 2008, Cate Blanchett appeared in Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. She played the villainous KGB agent Col. Dr. Irina Spalko. This movie was a big success, earning over $790 million worldwide. She also starred with Brad Pitt again in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. She also lent her voice to the English version of the animated movie Ponyo.
Also in 2008, Cate Blanchett and her husband, Andrew Upton, became the co-CEOs and artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company. In 2009, Blanchett returned to the stage in the play A Streetcar Named Desire. She played Blanche DuBois. The play was a big success and traveled to New York and Washington, D.C. Critics praised her performance. Actress Jane Fonda called it "perhaps the greatest stage performance I have ever seen."
In 2010, Blanchett starred as Lady Marion in Ridley Scott's movie Robin Hood. In 2011, she played a CIA agent in the action movie Hanna.
In 2011, she also performed in two more Sydney Theatre Company plays. She starred in Groß und klein (Big and Small). This play traveled to London and Paris. She then played Yelena in Uncle Vanya. This play also received great reviews and traveled to the US. Critics called her "one of the best and bravest actresses on the planet."
Hollywood Comeback and More Awards (2012–2016)
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Cate Blanchett played Galadriel again in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit movies (2012–2014). These movies were prequels to The Lord of the Rings and were also very popular. Even though Galadriel is not in the original book, the filmmakers added her so Blanchett could be in the movies.
She also voiced characters in the TV show Family Guy. In 2013, she appeared in the Australian movie The Turning. The 2013 season was her last as co-CEO and artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company.
In 2013, Blanchett played Jasmine Francis in Woody Allen's movie Blue Jasmine. Her performance was highly praised. Many critics called it the best of her career. Rolling Stone magazine called her performance "miraculous." She won over 40 awards for this role, including the Oscar for Best Actress. This made her only the sixth actress to win an Oscar in both acting categories. She was also the first Australian to win more than one acting Oscar.
In 2014, Cate Blanchett co-starred in The Monuments Men with Matt Damon and George Clooney. This movie was based on the true story of art historians who saved art stolen by Nazis. She also voiced Valka in the animated movie How to Train Your Dragon 2, which was a big success.
In 2015, Blanchett starred in five movies. She played Nancy in Knight Of Cups. She also played the evil Lady Tremaine in Disney's live-action movie Cinderella. Critics praised her performance, with Time magazine saying she was "grand without skirting parody."
She then starred with Rooney Mara in Carol. This movie was highly praised. Blanchett also helped produce the film. Her performance as the main character was called one of the best of her career. She received more Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominations for Carol.
Blanchett also played Mary Mapes in Truth (2015). Her production company helped make this film. She also starred in Manifesto, a video art project where she played 13 different characters. In 2016, she narrated a documentary called Voyage of Time.
Broadway Debut and TV Success (2017–2020)
Cate Blanchett starred in the play The Present in 2015, which later moved to Broadway in 2017. This was her Broadway debut. Her performance was highly praised. She received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play.
In 2017, she also appeared in the movie Song to Song. She played the goddess of death Hela in the Marvel Studios movie Thor: Ragnarok. This movie was a big success, earning $854 million worldwide.
In 2018, Blanchett starred in Ocean's 8, an all-female spin-off of the Ocean's Eleven movies. She starred alongside Sandra Bullock and Anne Hathaway. The movie earned over $297 million worldwide. She also played Florence Zimmerman in The House with a Clock in Its Walls.
That year, Forbes magazine listed her as one of the world's highest-paid actresses. She was also the head of the jury for the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
Blanchett voiced a female version of the python Kaa in Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018). This movie was released on Netflix in 2019. In the same year, she starred in Where'd You Go, Bernadette. Her performance in this movie was praised. She also voiced Valka again in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.
In 2020, Blanchett's production company, Dirty Films, signed deals for movies and TV shows. She returned to TV by starring in two short series. She had a supporting role in the Australian drama Stateless. She also helped create and produce the series. It aired in Australia and then on Netflix. She won two awards for Stateless.
Blanchett also starred in and produced the TV series Mrs. America (2020). She played conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly. The series received widespread praise. She was nominated for two Emmy Awards for her work on Mrs. America.
Recent Work and Continued Acclaim (2021–Present)
In 2021, Cate Blanchett starred with Bradley Cooper in Nightmare Alley. She also appeared with Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio in Don't Look Up for Netflix. Both movies were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. With these nominations, Blanchett set a record for the female actor with the most roles in Best Picture nominees.
Blanchett then starred in the 2022 movie Tár. She played Lydia Tár, a famous conductor. Her performance received huge praise. The Hollywood Reporter said she gave an "astonishing performance" and called it "yet another career peak." For Tár, she won her second Volpi Cup, fourth Golden Globe, and fourth BAFTA Award. She also received her eighth Oscar nomination. That year, she also voiced Spazzatura in the Netflix animated movie Pinocchio.
In 2023, Blanchett co-starred in the Australian movie The New Boy. She also voiced Hela again in an episode of the Marvel series What If...?. She also helped produce the movie Fingernails.
In 2024, Blanchett reunited with director Eli Roth to play Lilith in the movie Borderlands. She also starred in the Apple TV+ psychological thriller series Disclaimer.
Cate Blanchett will next produce and star in a movie called A Manual for Cleaning Women.
Activism
Protecting the Environment
Cate Blanchett has always supported actions to fight climate change and other environmental issues. In 2006, she joined former US Vice-president Al Gore's Climate Project. In 2007, she became an ambassador for the Australian Conservation Foundation. She was made an honorary member in 2012 for her support.
In 2011, Blanchett supported a carbon tax in Australia. She is also a supporter of SolarAid, a charity that provides solar lights in Africa.
From 2008 to 2011, when Blanchett and her husband led the Sydney Theatre Company, they started a big environmental program called Greening the Wharf. This program used solar energy, collected rainwater, and focused on saving energy and managing waste. The program won an award.
In 2014, Blanchett took part in the Green Carpet Challenge. This project helps make sustainable fashion more popular. In 2020, at the 77th Venice International Film Festival, Blanchett promised to only wear outfits she had worn before. This was to highlight the importance of sustainability in fashion. In October 2020, Prince William appointed her to the council for the Earthshot Prize. This prize helps environmental pioneers. In 2022, Blanchett launched a podcast called Climate of Change to talk about climate change.
Helping People in Need
Cate Blanchett has worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) since 2015. In 2016, she became a global Goodwill Ambassador for the UNHCR. She has appeared in videos to raise awareness about the global refugee crisis.
Blanchett has visited refugee camps in Jordan (2015), Lebanon (2016), and Bangladesh (2018). She met with Syrian and Rohingya refugees to highlight their challenges. In 2018, she received the Crystal Award for her work helping refugees. She also spoke to the United Nations Security Council about the problems faced by the Rohingya people.
In July 2020, the Australian TV series Stateless premiered on Netflix. Blanchett helped create and produce this series. It was inspired by her work with the UNHCR. The show aims to "build empathy and understanding for refugees."
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Blanchett wrote an essay for a book about how to improve society after the pandemic. In May 2020, she was among celebrities who read parts of Roald Dahl's book James and the Giant Peach. This was to help a charity fighting COVID-19.
In October 2023, Blanchett signed an open letter called Artists4Ceasefire. This letter asked for a ceasefire during the Israel-Hamas war.
Personal Life
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Cate Blanchett is married to playwright and screenwriter Andrew Upton. They met in Australia in the mid-1990s and got married on 29 December 1997. They have three sons and one daughter, whom they adopted in 2015. Blanchett has said that she and her husband wanted to adopt since their first son was born.
After living in Brighton, England, for almost 10 years, they moved back to Australia in 2006. She said they wanted a permanent home for their children and to be closer to her family. They lived in the Sydney suburb of Hunters Hill. They made their home more eco-friendly in 2007. After selling it in 2015, they moved back to England in 2016.
Blanchett has talked about feminism and politics. In 2013, she said she was worried that a "wave of conservatism" was threatening women's roles in society. She also spoke about the pressures women in Hollywood face.
Cate Blanchett has been a supporter of the Australian Film Institute since 2001. She is also a patron of the Sydney Film Festival. She spoke at the opening of the new Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2015. She also spoke at the state funeral of former Prime Minister of Australia Gough Whitlam in 2014.
Blanchett became a spokesperson for SK-II, a luxury skin care brand, in 2005. In 2013, she became a brand ambassador for Giorgio Armani fragrances. In 2018, Armani announced she would be their first beauty ambassador, representing their skincare and makeup products too. In 2022, Louis Vuitton announced Blanchett as their new ambassador.
Acting Credits and Awards
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Cate Blanchett has appeared in over 70 movies and more than 20 theatre plays. Her movies have earned over $9.8 billion worldwide. Her highest-earning movies include The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003) and The Hobbit (2012–2014) series, Cinderella (2015), and Thor: Ragnarok (2017).
She has won many awards for her acting. These include two Academy Awards (Oscars), four BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. Her role as Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator made her the only actor to win an Oscar for playing another Oscar-winning actor.
Blanchett is one of only four actresses to win the Best Actress Oscar after winning Best Supporting Actress. She is also the only actress in Oscar history to be nominated twice for playing the same role (Elizabeth I in Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age). She is also the only Australian woman to win two acting Oscars.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has recognized Cate Blanchett for these performances:
- 71st Academy Awards (1998): Nominated for Best Actress, Elizabeth
- 77th Academy Awards (2004): Won Best Supporting Actress, The Aviator
- 79th Academy Awards (2006): Nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Notes on a Scandal
- 80th Academy Awards (2007): Nominated for Best Actress, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
- 80th Academy Awards (2007): Nominated for Best Supporting Actress, I'm Not There
- 86th Academy Awards (2013): Won Best Actress, Blue Jasmine
- 88th Academy Awards (2015): Nominated for Best Actress, Carol
- 95th Academy Awards (2022): Nominated for Best Actress, Tár
In 2006, Premiere magazine gave her their Icon Award. In 2008, she received the Modern Master Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. That year, she also received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2014, she received the Crystal Award for excellence in entertainment.
In 2015, the Museum of Modern Art honored her for her contributions to film. She also received the British Film Institute Fellowship. The AACTA Longford Lyell Award was given to her in 2015 for her "outstanding contribution to Australia's screen culture."
The Australian government awarded her the Centenary Medal in 2001. In 2012, the French Minister of Culture made her a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters. In 2017, she was made a Companion of the Order of Australia by the Queen. This was for her great service to the performing arts, her work as a director, and her support for humanitarian and environmental causes.
She has received honorary degrees from the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, and Macquarie University. In 2022, she received the Honorary César award from France for her "remarkable career."
At the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, she received the Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award. This award honors women who have made a positive difference for women in the film industry.
Images for kids
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The National Institute of Dramatic Art in Kensington, New South Wales, where Cate Blanchett studied
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Shekhar Kapur directed Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth (1998). This movie earned her her first Oscar nomination.
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Cate Blanchett at an event for The Good German in 2007.
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Cate Blanchett at the 2011 Sydney Film Festival.
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Cate Blanchett promoting The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International.
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Cate Blanchett at the premiere of Carol at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.
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Cate Blanchett at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, where she was the head of the jury.
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Cate Blanchett at SBIFF 2023.
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Cate Blanchett at the Inaugural AACTA Awards in 2012.
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Cate Blanchett's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
See also
In Spanish: Cate Blanchett para niños
- List of Academy Award records
- List of actors nominated for two Academy Awards in the same year
- List of actors with two or more Academy Awards in acting categories
- List of actors with three or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories
- List of Australian Academy Award winners and nominees
