Cate Blanchett is something of a Hollywood legend.
The actress has definitely proven herself capable of handling any medium and any genre.
It’s hard to imagine this formidable acting icon as a child.
Curious to find out more about her journey?
Here is the stunning transformation of Cate Blanchett.
Her father, Robert, was a naval officer and her mother, June, a teacher.
Blanchett was the middle of three children.
Blanchett’s father passed away when she was just 10 years old.
The experience of losing her father as a child clearly shaped Blanchett.
“When someone dies … you remember what happens that day,” she toldTalk Asia.
His death also helped Blanchett feel extremely close to her mother.
Her mother changed careers and became a property developer so that her children could be sent to private school.
As Blanchett toldThe Telegraph, “She was very resilient.”
In fact, as she once toldThe Herald, she actually went through a rebellious, experimental phase.
While attending Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School, she developed a habit of dressing like a man.
“I went through a big goth [phase],” she recalled.
“And then a punk period I even shaved my head,” she went on.
In another interview forHuffPost, Blanchett went into more detail about how she ended up becoming a goth.
Apparently, as a child, she had been desperate to get a tan.
“I had to find some kind of expression for it,” she said.
At the time, she wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted to do other than museum curation.
So, she set off on a backpacking trip and ended up in Egypt.
A few versions of the story exist.
According to theTheHerald, she appeared in the Egyptian boxing movieKaboria, orCrabs,in English.
“At the time I didn’t have enough money to pay my room for the week.
I went along and there was an Arabic guy with a megaphone,” she recalled.
However, the experience didn’t exactly get her hooked on acting.
“It was so hot and so boring that I left,” she said.
However, when her sister, Genevieve, came to see her in an amateur production, everything changed.
The comment spurred her to study at drama school in Sydney.
By the time she graduated, she was hooked.
“Acting had become like this terrible addiction,” Blanchett toldThe Guardian.
Nevertheless, she was ready to try something else if nothing came of it.
However, soon after graduating, Blanchett became a prominent actress in Sydney stage productions.
It’s clear that she made the right decision!
AsThe Heraldreported, Blanchett’s stunning performance attracted the attention of critics and theater-goers alike.
She even won the Sydney Theater Critics' Best Newcomer Award.
Her performance also attracted the attention of a prominent film director.
Director Gillian Armstrong saw Blanchett’s performance inOleanna.
So yeah, I was completely shocked by how that film was received," she confessed toThe Guardian.
One thing was certain Blanchett’s career was off to an exciting start.
As she explained to theThe Herald, she initially got together with him while working onOscar and Lucinda.
Although the pair had met before, they’d never really clicked.
Apparently, he found her “aloof,” and she found him “arrogant.”
Just three weeks later, he proposed.
Blanchett also landed a role in a play calledPlentyin the city.
In 1999, she starred in four films, includingAn Ideal HusbandandThe Talented Mr. Ripley(viaIMDb).
For Blanchett, the sudden rise to stardom was a bit of a shock.
“It becomes a horse race,” she said.
She explained that being inPlentyhelped her to stay grounded.
“It was, ‘Did you have a good time?
Anyway, so on to page…’ That made it much easier to cope with it.”
I just wanted to work with Peter Jackson.
I had no idea it was going to be what it was."
“I hope I’ve evolved.
I hope I’m wiser, I hope I’m a better actor,” she said.
One thing that has definitely changed for Blanchett since becoming a mother is focus on family life.
Of course, being a mother also made her aware of her responsibility.
Setting a good example became a priority.
However, as she toldLittle London,she does understand how difficult motherhood can be.
“Every mother and father feels that they are failing in some respect.”
As Blanchett said toHarper’s Bazaar, “He suggested that we both do it together.
It was one of the crazy ideas.”
Apparently, once the idea got into their heads, they couldn’t shake it.
Blanchett loved the career shift.
Luckily, she and her husband developed a great system for working together so closely.
“We would divvy it up in a fluid way that perhaps only a married couple could.
We’ve always talked,” she explained toThe Telegraph.
Blanchett toldHarper’s Bazaar, “She has been an extraordinary blessing for all of us.”
In fact, with Edith, Blanchett began to realize just how important motherhood was to her.
“I can’t help it, it’s part of my instinct.”
And her favorite thing to do?
Stay in bed all day in her pajamas with Edith.
As Blanchett explained to theSydney Morning Herald(viaHello!
), she and Upton had been interested in adoption for years.
“It’s about welcoming,” she said.
What a lovely story!
As she toldThe Telegraph, her children don’t particularly like watching her on stage.
It makes them feel uncomfortable," she explained.
And when it comes to choosing films, her children have some opinions, too.
Apparently, her eldest son worries that she hasn’t done enough blockbusters.
That changed when Blanchett starred inThor: Ragnarok, alongside Hollywood heartthrob Chris Hemsworth.
Her children also force Blanchett to be a little more choosey.
“They force you to be economical.
“I just accept it,” she toldWorking Mother.
“Getting older happens to all of us and there are many advantages that come with age.”
Her approach, as she explained, is to treat getting older as an adventure.
“Even though you might like to fight it, there’s not much point!”
We have to say it’s a great example to set for young women everywhere.
