Cate Blanchett was born on May 14, 1969 in Australia to an American father and an Australian mother. She has an older brother and an younger sister. When she was ten years old, her 40-year old father died of a sudden heart attack. Her mother never remarried, and her grandmother moved in to help her mother. Cate graduated from Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1992 and, in a little over a year, had won both critical and popular acclaim. On graduating from NIDA, she joined the Sydney Theatre Company's production of Caryl Churchill's "Top Girls", then played Felice Bauer, the bride, in Tim Daly's "Kafka Dances", winning the 1993 Newcomer Award from the Sydney Theatre Critics Circle for her performance. From there, Blanchett moved to the role of Carol in David Mamet's searing polemic "Oleanna", also for the Sydney Theatre Company, and won the Rosemont Best Actress Award, her second award that year. She then co-starred in the ABC Television's prime time drama "Heartland" (1994), again winning critical acclaim. In 1995, she was nominated for Best Female Performance for her role as Ophelia in the Belvoir Street Theatre Company's production of "Hamlet". Other theatre credits include Helen in the Sydney Theatre Company's "Sweet Phoebe", Miranda in "The Tempest" and Rose in "The Blind Giant is Dancing", both for the Belvoir Street Theatre Company. In other television roles, Blanchett starred as Bianca in ABC's "Bordertown" (1995), as Janie Morris in "G.P." (1989) and in ABC's popular series Police Rescue (1994). She made her feature film debut in Paradise Road (1997). She also married writer Andrew Upton in 1997. She had met him a year earlier on a movie set, and they didn't like each other at first. He thought she was aloof, and she thought she was arrogant, but then they connected over a poker game at a party, and she went home with him that night. Three weeks later, he proposed marriage, and, they quickly married before she went off to England to play her breakthrough role in films: the title character in Elizabeth (1998) for which she won numerous awards for her performance, including the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama. Cate was also nominated for an Academy Award for the role but lost out to Gwyneth Paltrow. 2001 was a particularly busy year, with starring roles in Bandits (2001), The Shipping News (2001), Charlotte Gray (2001) and playing Elf Queen Galadriel in the "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy. She also gave birth to her first child, son Dashiell, in 2001. In 2004, she gave birth to her second son Roman. Also, in 2004, she played actress Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's film "Aviator" (2004), for which she received an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress. Two years later, she received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress for playing a teacher having an affair with an underage student in "Notes on a Scandal" (2006). In 2007, she returned to the role that made her a star in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (2007). It earned her an Oscar nomination as Best Actress. She was nominated for another Oscar that same year as Best Supporting Actress for playing Bob Dylan in "I'm Not There" (2007). In 2008, she gave birth to her third child, son Ignatius. She and her husband became artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company, choosing to spend more time in Australia raising their children.

1. Lawless (2013) - Actor 2. Knight of Cups (2013) - Actor 3. The Hobbit: There and Back Again (2013) - Galadriel 4. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Hobitul: Partea I - 3D) (2012) - Galadriel

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5. The 83rd Annual Academy Awards (2011) - Herself - Presenter: Best Make-Up and Best Costume Design 6. Hanna (Hanna) (2011) - Marissa

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7. Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010) - Herself (archive footage) 8. Robin Hood (2010) - Marion Loxley 9. Parting Moments: Following Minutes of a Separation (2008) - Herself 10. Ponyo (Ponyo) (2008) - Granmamare (voice: English version)

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11. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) - Irina Spalko

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12. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) - Daisy

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13. Achter de schermen bij 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' (2008) - Herself 14. Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) - Queen Elizabeth I

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15. I'm Not There. (2007) - Jude

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16. Hot Fuzz (2007) - Janine (uncredited)

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17. Babel (2006) - Susan Jones 18. Notes on a Scandal (2006) - Sheba Hart 19. Little Fish (2005) - Tracy 20. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) - Jane Winslett-Richardson 21. The Aviator (2004) - Katharine Hepburn 22. The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (2004) - Galadriel (archive footage) 23. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) - Galadriel

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24. Veronica Guerin (2003) - Veronica Guerin 25. National Geographic: Beyond the Movie - The Lord of the Rings (2002) - Herself / Galadriel, Lady of the Galadhrim 26. The Making of 'The Lord of the Rings' (2002) - Herself 27. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) - Galadriel

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28. A Passage to Middle-earth: Making of 'Lord of the Rings' (2001) - Herself 29. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - Galadriel

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30. Charlotte Gray (2001) - Charlotte Gray 31. The Shipping News (2001) - Petal 32. The Man Who Cried (2000) - Lola 33. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) - Meredith Logue 34. Inside 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' (1999) - Herself 35. An Ideal Husband (1999) - Lady Gertrude Chiltern 36. Elizabeth (1998) - Elizabeth I 37. Paradise Road (1997) - Susan Macarthy 38. Thank God He Met Lizzie (1997) - Lizzie 39. "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993) - Herself (2 episodes, 2004-2006)

1. 1993: She was the first person to win the Sydney Theatre Critic's Circle Theatre award for Best Newcomer (for her role in "Kafka Dances"), and Best Lead Actress (for her role in David Mamet's Oleanna, with the Sydney Theatre Company, opposite Shine (1996) star Geoffrey Rush)in the same year.

2. Has an older brother named Bob who works in the computer field, and a younger sister, Genevieve who is a theater designer.

3. When she was 18, Cate was on vacation in Egypt. A fellow guest at a cheap hotel in Cairo asked if she wanted to be an extra in a movie, and the next day she found herself in a crowd scene, cheering for an American boxer who was losing to an Egyptian. She dreaded the experience and walked off from the movie.

4. Attended Methodist Ladies College (MLC) in Melbourne, Australia and was the School Drama Captain.

5. Her father, (Robert Blanchett) a Texan ad executive, died of a heart attack when she was ten years old.

6. After completing work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy in the role of Galadriel, she kept and bronzed her elf ear prosthetics.

7. Was considered for the role of Clarice Starling in Hannibal (2001). The part eventually went to Julianne Moore.

8. Son, Dashiell John Upton, born December 2001. He was named after the author of classic crime novel The Maltese Falcon (1941), Dashiell Hammett.

9. In an interview she gave to Fox Television Network, she admitted blushingly that she had accepted the role of Galadriel, the Elf Queen, in The Lord of the Rings trilogy because she always wanted to appear in a movie wearing pointed ears.

10. Enjoys making lists and crossing items off as she accomplishes them.

11. Chosen as one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful." [1999]

12. Children: Dashiell John, born on December 3, 2001 in London, England; Roman Robert, born on April 23, 2004

13. Has been in 6 movies where the title contains the name of the character she plays: Veronica Guerin (2003), Charlotte Gray (2001), Elizabeth (1998), Thank God He Met Lizzie (1997), Oscar and Lucinda (1997) and Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007). [February 2008]

14. Was originally going to play the role of Anna in Mike Nichols's latest film Closer (2004/I), but due to her second pregnancy she had to drop out, so it was recast with Julia Roberts instead.

15. Second son, Roman Robert, with Andrew Upton, born 23 April 2004 in London, England.

16. Was the original 'Tim-Tam' girl in the series of commercials promoting the product.

17. September 2004: Flew back home to Melbourne, Australia to launch the skincare range from SK-II at Australia's leading department store Myer.

18. Was set to play "Portia" in Michael Radford's adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (2004), thus re-uniting with actor Joseph Fiennes, her co-star from the blockbuster Elizabeth (1998), but had to drop out after discovering her pregnancy. This also would have reunited her with Ian McKellen, with whom she appeared in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, who would have played "Shylock". He too ultimately left the project.

19. By winning the Oscar for her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn, she became the first person to give an Oscar-winning portrayal of a previous Oscar winner.

20. In The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), she appears with Anjelica Huston, and in The Aviator (2004), she works with Danny Huston, the daughter and son, respectively, of director John Huston. In addition to having played Katharine Hepburn, who appeared in The African Queen (1951), directed by John Huston, she also appeared in a remake of a film that John Huston appeared in: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).

21. In The Aviator (2004), she works opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays Howard Hughes. The year before, she appeared in The Missing (2003/I) with Tommy Lee Jones. Jones played Hughes years earlier in The Amazing Howard Hughes (1977) (TV).

22. 1995: Nominated for Best Female Performance by the Melbourne Green Room Awards, for the Belvoir St Theatre Company's production of "Hamlet".

23. Won the Rosemont Best Actress Award for her performance in "Oleanna".

24. 1992: Graduated from Australia's NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art).

25. Was unknowingly pregnant while portraying the pregnant journalist in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004).

26. Four of her five Oscar nominations are for playing real people (Queen Elizabeth I, Katharine Hepburn and Bob Dylan).

27. Won Best Female Actor, Helpmann Award for her performance in "Hedda Gabler". [2005]

28. Appeared next to Hugo Weaving in 9 different projects: "Bordertown" (1995), "Drama School" (2000), Little Fish (2005), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (2004) (VG), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Making of 'The Lord of the Rings' (2002) (V), Quest for the Ring (2001) (TV).

29. Is of French descent.

30. In "The Lord of the Rings", she worked with Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, who played "Frodo" and "Sam", respectively. Also appearing with her in those films, as well as in The Aviator (2004), was Ian Holm, who played "Frodo" in the BBC radio series. In Notes on a Scandal (2006), she worked with Bill Nighy, who played "Sam" in the BBC radio series. In Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), she worked with Samantha Morton, who is engaged to Ian Holm's son, Harry Holm.

31. She participated in 7 films nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award, four of them in a row: Elizabeth (1998), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Aviator (2004), Babel (2006), and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008).

32. In Bandits (2001), she works with Troy Garity. In The Aviator (2004), she plays Katharine Hepburn, who appeared with Garity's mother, Jane Fonda and grandfather, Henry Fonda, in On Golden Pond (1981).

33. Was considered for the role of Jane Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005).

34. 15th February 2005: Attended the 2005 Elle Style Awards held at London's trendy Spitalfields Market. Posed for photos with fellow Australian Kylie Minogue, who was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

35. Her Texan father, Robert Blanchett, met her mother, June, in Melbourne.

36. Was officially in the BAFTA longlist (Equivalently, the semi-finals) for Best Actress in a Leading Role, for her role in Notes on a Scandal (2006) (unlike the Oscars, where she was competing for Supporting Role), which consisted of 15 finalists for each category (except Animated Film). However, she was eliminated in the next round, which the five official nominees were selected. [2007]

37. She and her The Shipping News (2001) and Notes on a Scandal (2006) co-star Judi Dench both received Oscar-nominations for playing Queen Elizabeth I in 1999. Dench won for her supporting role in Shakespeare in Love (1998) while Blanchett was nominated for Elizabeth (1998).

38. Cate and her husband, Andrew Upton, are expecting their third child in April, 2008 [November 3, 2007].

39. Was Steven Spielberg's first choice for the role or Agatha in Minority Report (2002). After the death of Stanley Kubrick, he made Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001) his first priority, and she moved on to other projects. She was later able to work with Spielberg in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).

40. Dec. 2007 - Ranked #45 on EW's The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood.

41. Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#31). [2007].

42. In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated her earnings for the year at $13 million.

43. She is one of the elite eleven thespians to have been nominated for both a Supporting and Lead Acting Academy Award in the same year for their achievements in two different movies. The other nine are Fay Bainter, Sigourney Weaver, Teresa Wright, Barry Fitzgerald (he has been nominated in both categories for the same role in the same movie), Jessica Lange, Al Pacino, Emma Thompson, Holly Hunter, Julianne Moore and Jamie Foxx.

44. She, Linda Hunt and Felicity Huffman are the only performers to be nominated for an Oscar for playing a member of the opposite sex.

45. She is one of five actors (and the only female actor) to be nominated for an Oscar twice for playing the same role in two separate films. She played "Queen Elizabeth I" in Elizabeth (1998) and in Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007). The others are Bing Crosby as "Father Chuck O'Malley" in Going My Way (1944) and The Bells of St. Mary's (1945), Paul Newman as "Fast Eddie Felson" in The Hustler (1961) and The Color of Money (1986), Peter O'Toole as "King Henry II" in Becket (1964) and The Lion in Winter (1968) and Al Pacino as "Michael Corleone" in The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974).

46. Was listed as a potential nominee for the 2008 Razzies (but did not make the final ballot) for her performance as "Queen Elizabeth I" in Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), a performance that earned her another Oscar nomination. Had she earned a Razzie nod, she would have been one of the few actors to have a Razzie and Oscar nomination for the same performance.

47. Son, Ignatius Martin Upton, was born 13 April 2008 in Sydney, weighing 8 pounds.

48. Received the 2,367th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on December 5, 2008.

49. Good friends with actress Nicole Kidman.

50. Got the role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) after Rachel Weisz backed out, because of scheduling problems.

51. Lives in Hunters Hill, Sydney Australia.

52. Did not return to work until six months after giving birth to her son Ignatius in order to take to the stage for a Broadway revival of "A Streetcar Named Desire", where she portrayed Blanche DuBois.

53. She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

54. She was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal in the 2001 Queen's New Years Honours List for her services to acting and Australian society.

55. Was originally cast as Mrs. Fox in Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), but was later replaced by Meryl Streep.

56. Her portrayal of Irina Spalko in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) is director Steven Spielberg's favorite villain in the Indiana Jones series.

57. Was originally cast as Izzi Creo in The Fountain (2006), but was forced to drop out of the film due to scheduling conflicts with Little Fish (2005). Rachel Weisz was then cast instead.

58. Returned to work seven months after giving birth to her son Dashiell in order to begin filming Veronica Guerin (2003).

59. Returned to work six months after giving birth to her son Roman in order to begin filming Little Fish (2005).

60. Was three months pregnant with her son Ignatius when she completed filming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).

61. Admitted to not hitting it off with her husband when she first met him. Apparantly, he thought she was aloof and he thought she was arrogant.