Top 10 Moments That Made Us Love Cate Blanchett

In 2016, news broke that Blanchett was doing some DIY by building a pig pen. Since then, she’s spoken about the real reasons for getting the critters, a “Machiavellian vegetarian plan.” For Interview magazine in 2019, when talking to Julia Roberts, Blanchett mentioned her plan to convert her kids into a plant-diet diet. She wanted them to get attached to the farmyard animals. Then, when the pigs perished, giving her kids sausages from them. However, it was unsuccessful as they coped with that revelation just fine. In 2024, Blanchett retold the tale on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” She also brought up a the darkly amusing detail that the pigs were named after a cigarette brand.

After watching the first “How to Train Your Dragon” with her kids, Blanchett had to sign up to be Hiccup’s mother, Valka, in the 2014 sequel. During a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival, the Aussie was asked by a journalist if she would let her kids play with her Oscars. Not missing a beat, Blanchett replied with laid back good humor. During the same conference, another journalist invited Blanchett to Bangladesh. She enthusiastically agreed and then quipped she would show his wife how to train her dragon.

To keep the interview fresh on his show, “The Tonight Show” has the segment “Emotional Interviews,” where Jimmy Fallon and guests have to improvise a conversation before a ding gives them new criteria. In 2017, Blanchett was in the hot seat. She showed her comedic range right off the bat by slamming Fallon as “exes who just ran into each other” with subtle insults. On top of fake laughing like someone in terrible pain and giving bad advice about getting a perm, Blanchett took a few digs at the presidency of Donald Trump, drawing applause from the audience.

In 2018, Blanchett went onto “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and played the pun-tastic game “Fill in the Blanchett.” When responding to, “Diamonds aren’t a girl’s best friend, BLANK are,” the actor responded with “rollercoasters.” But she added an important caveat. Blanchett explained her stance by saying when people go to the park, they can look up at the rollercoaster. There’s a possibility they'll see a lot more than they intended if the person on the ride is going commando. We definitely noted that. However, with DeGeneres’s bemused reaction, Blanchett was thinking twice about her tangent.

In a move that launched a meme in 2015, when promoting her work in “Cinderella,” the Aussie sat down with Andrew Freund during the press junket. He asked Blanchett about the “Disney villain gaze,” as in staring. However, she was confused and heard “gays,” as in the G in LGBTQIA+. Once she realized and explained her confusion, she threw in a limp wrist, which made Blanchett go viral. During the same junket, while talking to Rotten Tomatoes, Blanchett discussed the chore she despises. In a hilarious anecdote, she explains her hatred of clearing up her dog’s poop after being traumatized as a kid. At one point, the bag was the size of a toddler.

We know what you’re thinking: “When did the reign of Blanchett begin?” Well, back in 1998, she starred in the title role in “Elizabeth.” Set during the rise of Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland, the Aussie’s phenomenal work catapulted her into stardom as film critics reigned down praise for her. As a result, Blanchett ended up winning a BAFTA for Best Actress in a Leading Role and a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. She also got an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. On top of this, when Blanchett reprised the role for 2007’s “Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” she became the first woman to be nominated for an Oscar for portraying the same character in different films!

2021 was a stellar year in Blanchett’s career. She appeared in not one but two films that were nominated at the Oscars for Best Picture. Firstly, she was in Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley,” alongside Bradley Cooper. Then, Blanchett followed it up in the satirical hit “Don't Look Up.” While Blanchett didn’t win anything personally, the nominations alone set her up as an Oscar record-breaker. Since 1949, Olivia de Havilland, of “Gone with the Wind” fame, has held the record of a female actor who's starred in the most Oscar nominations for Best Picture with nine projects. Blanchett took over the record with nine so far.

We knew we were in for a treat when Hoda Kotb introduced the segment as she suppressed laughter. In 2018, Blanchett and Sarah Paulson arrived on “Today” to promote their work in “Ocean's 8.” Kotb had little to do as the magic between the pair, who were channeling sister energy, did all the work. Making one joke after another as they mocked themselves and each other, the host was cry-laughing throughout, causing her mascara to run! The chaos of the segment was amazing as Blanchett sat on Paulson’s knee and the two jested about their Oscar and Emmy awards. Some argued the duo barely promoted the film. However, we’d retort watching their chemistry made us want to see it.

After missing out on her first Oscar after 1998’s “Elizabeth,” she finally got the chance to take the famous golden statue home after her performance in 2004’s “The Aviator.” Based on the life of Howard Hughes, Blanchett was cast as Katharine Hepburn. Her in-depth research and mimicking the legend’s mannerisms led to the Aussie actor receiving a mountain of praise for her work. As such, Blanchett picked up an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Blanchett’s win was more than reaching the top of her industry. She also made history by becoming the first to receive an Oscar for portraying an Oscar-winning female actor, as Hepburn had won four during her illustrious career. Blancett was the first Australian to win this category.

It’s not just the supporting role that garners Blanchett with awards. After her stand-out performance in 2013’s “Blue Jasmine,” she was set to leave a massive legacy in the industry once again. At the 86th Academy Awards, Blanchett took home the prestigious Best Actress award. As a result, she became the first Australian female actor to win both categories at the Oscars. On top of that, at the time of writing, Blanchett’s the only Aussie to have won two acting Oscars! On “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” after the ceremony, the actor stated that she took her Best Actress award to bed with her.

If a current actor was to portray Cate Blanchett in a biopic, who would you cast? Jennifer Lawrence? Margot Robbie? Amanda Seyfried? Or someone else? Let us know below!