Cate Blanchett AC

Readers note: This is an excerpt from the 200 Treasures exhibition catalogue, developed in 2017. This content was written as a brief biography on why this person was included in the exhibition.

Cate Blanchett reigns as one of the world’s most accomplished and surprising actresses.

Born in Melbourne in 1969, she first appeared on the cinema screen in Bruce Beresford’s film Paradise Road, which was followed closely by her starring role in Gillian Armstrong’s Oscar and Lucinda; both were released in 1997.

Blanchett came to film after acclaimed stage performances following her graduation from Sydney’s NIDA in 1992. In 1998, she was cast as Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth: The Golden Age, a role that gained her international attention and earned her BAFTA, Golden Globe and SAG awards and her first Academy Award nomination.

Throughout her career, Blanchett has played diverse characters, enabling her to develop and display her immense range, and earning her a place among the elite of the acting profession. She has been nominated for an Academy Award seven times (twice in 2007 for roles in Elizabeth: The Golden Age and I’m Not There) and won a best supporting actress award for her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator in 2005, and best actress award for her role in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine in 2014.

Blanchett maintains an equally strong career in theatre. In 2008, with husband Andrew Upton, Blanchett embarked on a very successful stewardship of the Sydney Theatre Company that saw sell-out and critically acclaimed shows. In 2009, the company toured the American classic A Street Car Named Desire in New York and Washington, DC. Blanchett’s raw portrayal of Blanche DuBois was transcendent and inspired Allen’s Blue Jasmine, for which Blanchett reprised aspects of her DuBois role.

Her sharp wit has made her a star performer on the publicity circuit and she has negotiated celebrity better than most. Blanchett continues to be an outspoken ambassador for the Australian arts.