9 Best Cate Blanchett Performances That Prove She Can Do Anything

When you look at actors such as Cate Blanchett, you realize the true power of talent and fame. Not only has she deeply impressed us with her onscreen versatility, but she has also been a pioneer of change, be it with her fearless advocacy against sexism and ageism in the film industry, or her artistic choices that broadened the creative landscape for women, in terms of roles available to them.

For the actress, it’s been quite a journey, considering that she herself once said, “The shelf life of actresses when I first came on the scene was about five years,” and in her three-decade-long career, this Oscar-winning actress has changed the way the world looks at female roles and actors, making space for more female centric films in the cinemascape through her filmography.

In this article, we’re listing the films where Cate Blanchett shone bright like a diamond.

1. Tár (2022)

I love a movie with a morally gray female lead, and Cate Blanchett is so realistic as Lydia Tár that Tár gives you the chills of a documentary with the spectacle of fiction. The narrative revolves around Lydia Tár, an EGOT-winning music conductor, and her spectacular descent into questionable territory. Cate embodies Lydia, intricately projecting every little emotion that she feels in her quest for domination and control, as she tweaks morality to fend off her self-absorbed ego. The character is written in multiple shades of gray, and Blanchett makes sure that we get a glimpse of each shade.

2. Carol (2015)

Todd Haynes' Carol is a story about forbidden love in the 1950s. Rooney Mara plays Therese, an aspiring photographer in New York who falls in love with an older woman, Carol (Cate Blanchett). The romance between them approaches queer love with both sensitivity and authenticity, steering clear of any LGBTQ+ romance clichés to focus on the systematic atrocities against such couples. Blanchett as a queer woman, struggling for the custody of her child, compelled to choose between her sexuality and motherhood, is unnerving.

3. I’m Not There (2007)

To anyone who doubts the acting capabilities of Blanchett, you’ve definitely not seen I’m Not There, yet. I mean, developing and playing a fictional character from scratch is something, but impersonating a particular phase of life of a complex public figure like Bob Dylan with such accuracy and style takes things to a whole other level. Another masterpiece by Todd Haynes, I'm Not There utilizes an ensemble cast to ruminate on the life of Bob Dylan, where each actor plays Dylan in a certain phase of his life. Alongside legendary actors such as Richard Gere and Heath Ledger, Blanchett not only delivers a raw, vulnerable performance as Jude Quinn, a young, bratty, and self-centered Dylan, completely weary of the world, but literally embodies him in messy brown hair, gruff voice, and dark wit.

4. The Aviator (2004)

Blanchett’s portrayal of any character is hardly ever dependent on the resemblance to them. Take Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, where she breathes life into the legendary Katherine Hepburn in full glory—not by imitating her in looks and mannerisms but by reimaging her in her presence and glamour. In a biopic about businessman, movie producer, and aviator Howard Hughes, Blanchett’s Hepburn becomes a pivotal emotional anchor that not only complements Leonardo DiCaprio's portrayal of Hughes but also enriches his character with romantic chemistry and complexity. The role earned Blanchett the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2005.

5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

David Fincher’s loose adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, features Blanchett as the hard-luck Daisy, who crosses paths many times with the reverse-aging Benjamin. Her portrayal through youth and aging draws a beautiful contrast between the two leading characters. Their romance on screen underlines the film’s themes of love, loss, and the passage of time. As Daisy, Blanchett is both delicate and tenile as Benjamin’s soulmate.

6. Notes on a Scandal (2006)

Richard Eyre’s Notes on a Scandal features Blanchett as a young art teacher, Sheba, involved in an illicit affair with a 15-year-old student. Alongside Judi Dench’s Barbara, Sheba’s emotional vulnerability, masked by outward confidence, brings the much-needed contrast between the two characters, where Barbara is a deeply manipulative individual and Sheba embodies youth and innocence. Blanchett’s portrayal is multi-dimensional, with her juggling between passion and responsibility with gravitas. Moments like Sheba flinching at Barbara’s touch or emotional exchanges between them are a testament to Blanchett’s depth as an actor. This role earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 2007 Academy Awards.

7. Elizabeth (1998)

Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth I of England is phenomenal in Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth– a role that catapulted her to international stardom. Blanchett’s Elizabeth is a young, headstrong, and intelligent princess navigating her way around the political volatility as she tries to settle into her role in royalty. As the first Queen of England, Blanchett is both vulnerable and formidable, balancing sensitivity with strength, making hers one of the finest portrayals of the Queen on screen. Elizabeth earned Blanchett her first Academy Award nomination in 1999.

8. Babel (2006)

Julian Rosefeldt’s Babel features Blanchett in 13 different, distinctive characters ranging from an anchorwoman to a homeless man, where she performs a series of striking monologues that ultimately question the role of artists in today’s world. Babel is a testament to her range as an actor, alongside her thirst for something unique in every role that she portrays.

9. Blue Jasmine (2013)

Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmin is widely considered to be one of the best performances by Blanchett and won her her first Academy Award in a lead role in 2014. Her portrayal of the titular character Jasmine, a financially wrecked New York socialite who dumps herself on her estranged sister living in San Francisco, is acutely arrogant and manipulative, yet fragile, vulnerable, so much so that it makes you both hate and love her. In the moments that we spend alone with Jasmine, Blanchett takes us on a ride of psychological torment, through her complex character who’s undergoing a life-changing social collapse. It’s unreal how she ticks off the right nerves in every scene, taking your emotions on a rollercoaster ride.

Blanchett’s filmography is proof of her artistic genius, and with a seat at the Cannes Jury in 2018, she’s an inspiration for women all over the world. Which is your favorite Cate Blanchett movie?