Is there any actor quite as versatile as Cate Blanchett? The 55-year-old double Oscar winner has built a reputation as a chameleonic character actor since arriving in Hollywood from her native Australia. She’s played monarchs, movie stars, a conservative activist, an elf, and the goddess of death—not to mention a prolific conductor in Todd Field’s critically lauded Tár. Her next move? To take on the part of a suited, wispy-haired Ursula von der Leyen-esque figure in Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson’s pitch-black political comedy Rumours.
Ahead of its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, we shortlist 11 of her best films and TV shows that you need to rewatch now.
Elizabeth (1998)
Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection
As the deathly pale, redheaded Elizabeth I in Shekhar Kapur’s stately biopic, Blanchett shot to fame and earned her first Oscar nomination. She received yet another when she reprised the role in Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), painting a vivid portrait of a fiery ruler presiding over a divided nation.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Photo: Shutterstock
