Interesting facts about Cate Blanchett on her 52nd birthday
What's the story
Cate Blanchett is celebrating her 52nd birthday today! She has dual citizenship - Australian and American, as she was born in Australia, but her father is an American. This terrific actress has shown her prowess in all the genres, spread across drama, period pieces, sci-fi fantasy, romance, superhero, and more. Today, we celebrate her day by bringing some interesting facts about Blanchett.
Oscars
Only Australian actress to win two Academy Awards
The two-time Oscar-winning actress is widely regarded as one of the greatest performers of all time. Interestingly, Blanchett is the only actress hailing from Australia who has won two Academy Awards. The first Oscar trophy she won was for playing Katharine Hepburn in the 2004 movie The Aviator, and the other one for portraying Jasmine in Blue Jasmine in the year 2013.
Shekhar Kapur
Find out how Blanchett has a Bollywood connection
Notably, Blanchett had worked with Shekhar Kapur in the 1998 film Elizabeth. Kapur is said to have discovered the actress while watching her in the trailer of the 1997 film Oscar and Lucinda. Her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth turned things around for her, and she got huge recognition, including an Academy Award nomination. It cemented her position, and Blanchett soon became a bankable performer.
'Thor: Ragnarok'
Don't mess with her, she's the goddess of death!
She made the role of Hela iconic. We cannot imagine anyone else playing the goddess of death and Thor's older sister with such panache. As a part of her preparation, she diligently worked out with Chris 'Thor' Hemsworth's trainer, Luke Zocchi. Initially, she found it difficult to act in a motion capture suit, but well, the result is out there for us to see.
Stamp and Statue
Blanchett has been featured on a stamp
You can also find Blanchett on a stamp. The actress was featured on four Australian 55¢ stamps in a 2009 series covering stars. She also has a wax figure at the Madame Tussauds in Hollywood. Unveiled in 2015, the hyper-realistic statue is in the dress that the actress wore when she won the Oscars for Best Supporting Actress in the film The Aviator.
Small screen
Shifting with times: Has made a swift switch to television
Evidently, Blanchett doesn't shy away from learning new things. Just last year she made a switch to acting for the small screen. She starred in two miniseries. The first is called Stateless, which is an Australian drama series, and the other one is FX/Hulu historical drama called Mrs. America. The FX series was critically acclaimed, and Blanchett was nominated for an Emmy.
Ally
She is an ally of the LGBTQ+ community
She might have played the role of a conservative activist who opposes equal rights in Mrs. America, but in reality, she has championed constantly for LGBTQ+ rights. In the 2015 film Carol, she played a bisexual. The film is considered one of the best LGBTQ+ films, which turned Blanchett into a gay icon. She has also been advocating for normalizing same-sex relationships and marriage.
Activism
All in one: Staunch feminist, avid activist, environment lover
Blanchett is a staunch feminist and a big supporter of women's rights. She is also an environment lover and joined the Climate Project in the year 2006. The actress is also part of the Australian Conservation Foundation as an ambassador. In the year 2016, she was appointed as a global Goodwill Ambassador by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Accolades
She has not one, but three honorary doctorate degrees!
Blanchett has received numerous accolades during her illustrious career. Besides the two Academy Awards, she also has three Golden Globe Awards and three British Academy Film Awards. The actress has honorary doctorate degrees from the Macquarie University, New South Wales, and the University of Sydney. Time magazine named Blanchett one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2007.
Money and Family
Net worth, family and other details
She was listed as one of the world's highest-paid actresses in the year 2018. Her current net worth is somewhere around $95 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Blanchett is married to Australian playwright and director Andrew Upton since 1997. The couple has four kids - three sons (Dashiell, Roman, Ignatius) and they adopted a daughter (Edith) in the year 2015.