Did You Know This About…Cate Blanchett
Spoiler phrases: “bronzed elf ears” and “Mrs Smith”
Cate Blanchett has gone on to become one of the most influential actors of her generation. Covering all of the bases from ageless fantasy Elf, to historical figures, then to the first female Marvel villain, Blanchett is sure to have made a name for herself in Hollywood and beyond.
Our Blanchett fanatics at ScreenHeads have put together a list of little facts you may not have known about the female lead of The Aviator. Let’s find out if you do!
She had her elf ears from Lord of the Rings bronzed
Blanchett became globally recognised after portraying Galadriel in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings film series. It would appear she was fond of her time in the role, as star decided to commennorate her time in Middle Earth in a very interesting way.
It turns out Blanchett actually kept and bronzed her elf ear prosthetics. Quite the decoration for your living room, right?
Was considered to play Clarice Starling in Hannibal
It is no surprise that someone as talented as Blanchett would be shortlisted for one of the biggest characters in cinema.
She was actually up for replacing Jodie Foster in the role of Clarice in 2001’s Hannibal, directed by Ridley Scott. The role would have had her starring opposite Sir Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter, however it was Julianne Moore who was eventually cast.
Accepted her role in Lord of the Rings for a very simple reason
I guess it doesn’t always take a lot for this powerhouse star to be excited for a role; during an interview she gave to Fox Television, she admitted that she had actually accepted her role in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring because she always wanted to appear in a film wearing pointy ears.
No wonder she had the things bronzed!
She was the first person to give an Oscar-winning portrayal of a previous Oscar winner
There’s a first time for everything, and Blanchett actually is linked with one! By winning her Oscar for playing Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator, she became the first person to win one by portraying a previous Oscar winner!
Hepburn won four in total, her first being for Best Actress due to her portrayal in 1933’s Morning Glory.
Related Article: Did You Know This About…Tom Cruise
Was considered for Jane Smith in Mr & Mrs Smith
Brangelina may not have happened had this gone Cate’s way! Could we have got “Bradchett”?
Before Angelina Jolie was officially cast as Jane Smith opposite future husband Brad Pitt, Blanchett was firmly in the running. The rest is history of course.
Wasn’t originally cast in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
She may have missed out on filming opposite Brad Pitt once, but she got her chance with David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
However, Blanchett was not the first choice. The Mummy’s Rachel Weisz was originally cast as Daisy Fuller, but had to back out due to scheduling conflicts. From there, Blanchett won the role. From there, we got arguably one of the best performances of her career so far.
Steven Spielberg regards her as his favourite Indiana Jones villain
It must be a “pinch me” moment to have Steven Spielberg himself gushing over you, right?
for her portrayal of Irina Spalko in 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the Hollywood legend named her as his favourite villain in the entire film series. And she didn’t even have to go through the effort of having her face melted off!
One of the only actors to appear in all of Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth-related films
Something most fans may not have noticed in all of the fun/hours of this film series.
Of all six film set in Middle Earth and directed by Peter Jackson, only Blanchett and Sir Ian McKellen, who plays Gandalf The Grey/White, are present in each and every feature film. Not an easy feat considering the amount of characters who pop up in both trilogies.
Was almost cast in The Martain
Another close encounter for Blanchett here. Blanchett was actually the first choice for Commander Lewis opposite Matt Damon in Ridley Scott’s The Martian.
Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts got in the way and Jessica Chastain was cast instead to give us a great performance.
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Think we missed out some of Blanchett’s more interesting facts? Were you not aware of any of the above? Let us know in the comment section below!
Blanchett can next be seen on the big screen in 2021’s Pinocchio directed by Guillermo del Toro in a yet to be revealed role.