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"THE SUN" Newspaper - Thursday, MAY 15th, 1969.
BLANCHETT (Gambie) - To June and Bob a daughter (Catherine Elise) at James
McPherson, May 14th. Both Well.
Full Name:
Occupation
Age:
Birth Date:
Birth Place:
Star Sign:
Husband:Catherine Elise Blanchett
Actress
30
May 14, 1969
Jessie McPherson Private Hospital,
Clayton, Victoria, Australia
Taurus
Andrew Upton
Fan Mail Address:
C/O Robyn Gardiner Management,
P.O. Box 128,
Surry Hills, NSW, 2010
Australia.
Cate was born to an Aussie mother and a Texan father. She is of French
ancestry, and claims to be vaguely related to Louis Bleriot (1872-1976),
the first aviator to have crossed the English Channel.
One of three children (has an older brother Bob & younger sister Genevive), Cate was raised by her mother following her
father's passing when she was ten. She has described her childhood as
normal, while seeing herself as "part extrovert, part wallflower".
She attended Methodist Ladies College [MLC] where she was part of "Cato" House drama group. One of her very first plays was "Odyssey of Runyon Jones"...a fantasy about a young boy whose dog dies. He searches the "other world" for his dog. The Administrator - the role Cate played, was essentially keeping files on entrants to the afterworld, i.e. heaven.
Cate also directed her fellow students in "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?".
After growing up in Melbourne, she began studies of fine arts and
economics at the University of Melbourne, but, departed, after a
fashion, to continue her education via travel. After the expiration of
her vistor's visa forced her to leave England, she eventually found
herself in Egypt, desperate for money. In an effort to earn some cash,
and get a crack at craft services, she signed on as an extra in an
Arabic boxing film. It was the first time she had ever been on a film
set, but, it wouldn't, obviously, be the last.
Upon her return to Melbourne, she enrolled at Australia's prestigious
National Institute of Dramatic Art. This decision would change her life.
She recalled, "It was only when I realized how actors have the power to
move people that I decided to pursue acting as a career".
Upon her graduation from NIDA, she joined the Sydney Theatre Company's
production of Caryl Churchill's "Top Girls", then played Felice Bauer,
the bride in Timothy Daly's musical "Kafka Dances". She won the Newcomer
Award from the Sydney Theatre Critics Circle for her performance.
From there, Cate went on to star as Carol opposite Geoffrey Rush in
David Mamet's searing polemic, "Oleanna", also for The Sydney Theatre
Company. Consequently, she achieved an unprecendented feat, picking up
her second gong of the year by also wiinning the Rosemont Best Actress
Award,
In 1995, she was nominated for Best Female Performance for her turn as
Ophelia in the Belvoir Street Theatre Company's production of "Hamlet".
Cate has been quoted as seeing her craft as "a process of accumulation
and elimination".
Her 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. Later, like
"Oscar and Lucinda" co-star, Ralph Fiennes, she moved on to Chekov,
playing Nina in "The Seagull".
In the realm of television, Cate co-starred in ABC (Australian
Broadcasting Company) Televsion's "Heartland", winning critical acclaim
in this examination of rural aborigines. She also earned notice as
Bianca in ABC's "Bordertown", as Janie Morris in "G.P.", and in ABC's
popular series, "Police Rescue". Cate revised her character of Rosie
from "Heartland" in the non-feature film, Parklands.
She made her feature debut as a shy Australian nurse in Bruce
Beresford's, Paradise Road. She next starred in Cherie Nowlan's
debut feature, Thank God He Met Lizzie, playing the title role.
For this, Cate won the prestigious AFI (Australian Fim Institute) Best
Supporting Actress Award.
Cate's next venture was the critically acclaimed, Oscar and
Lucinda, directed by noted Australian director, Gillian Armstrong.
Cate captivated audiences and critics alike, playing opposite Ralph
Fiennes, with her bewitching and mesmerizing portrait of Lucinda
Leplastrier.
In June of 1997, she married Andrew Upton, a script and cointinuity
editor she had met on the Parklands shoot. It was not,
apparently, love at first sight. He has remarked he found her "aloof",
and she has described him as having been "a bit full of himself".
but, they soon bonded over a shared good sense of humour. And, if their
interaction at the Golden Globes is any indication, they would appear to
be truly soulmates, and deeply in love.
It was Cate's starmaking portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in Shekhar
Kapur's Elizabeth that shot her into the stratosphere in terms of
both popular and critical acclaim. Her stunning metamorphosis from
innocent, lovestruck young lass to the hardened, seemingly calcified,
ruler of England was stunning and heartbreaking, Igniting a firestorm of
focused attention within the film community. Cate's chameleonlike
qualities astounded both the industry and the public. Consequently, it
was of little surprise when the Awards began to pour forth.
As a result of Elizabeth, Cate was honored with the Golden Globe
for Best Actress in a Dramatic Motion Picture, and was designated Best
Actress for her performance by: The Broadcast Film Critics Association,
The Chicago Film Critics Association, The London Critics Circle, The
Golden Satellite Awards, The Toronto Film Critics Association, and The
Online Film Critics Society.
She was also been nominated by her peers for the prestigious Screen
Actors Guild Best Actress Award, and on Tuesday, February 9, 1999,
received an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress. Her film,
Elizabeth received seven nominations in all including, Best
Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Musical Score,
Best Costume Design and Best Makeup.
Cate was justly honoured with the BAFTA Best Actress Award, while
Elizabeth was honoured as Best British Film, for Best Score, Best
Cinematography, Best Makeup, and co-star Geoffrey Rush was designated
Best Supporting Actor,
She most recently received a nomination for the 1999 MTV Movie Awards,
as Best Breakthrough Female Performer.
1999 has been a busy year for Cate. She has a cameo as Meredith Logue in
the upcoming The Talented Mr. Ripley, from director Anthony
Minghella (The English Patient), which stars Matt Damon and
Gwyneth Paltrow. The film is scheduled for release in the States
December 25 and early 2000 in Australia.
Cate co-starred earlier in the year in the new comedy from Mike Newell
(Four Weddings and a Funeral), written by Glen and Les Charles,
creators of "Cheers". Pushing Tin is a black comedy about the
madcap lives of two air traffic controllers and their wives, and stars
Cate, John Cusack, Billy Bob Thonton and Angelina Jolie.
Although reaction to the film was mixed, the reviews of Cate were
unanimous across the board. Her perfomance as Long Island housewife,
Connie Falzone, stole the picture, offering a layered performance that
was simultaneously sexy and poignant.
Cate is now on view in various parts of the world in the new film
version of Oscar Wilde's classic comedy, An Ideal Husband. The
story concerns a prominent politician whose "perfect" marriage and
career are threatened by revelations of past indiscretions.
Jeremy Northam plays the husband, Cate is his wife, Minnie Driver is her
sister, Rupert Everett plays the best friend, and Julianne Moore plays
the mystery woman from Northam's past. Cate has commented that she
believes people will find it most topical. Enough said. Cate's
performance was greeted with rapt praise in the U.S. and the U.K.
Cate was slated to produce and star with Geoffrey Rush in Cherie
Nowlan's followup, Dreamtime Alice this year, although it is
difficult to see where that might fit into her schedule at this point in
time.
In theatrical news, Cate took a break to appear with Kate Winslett,
Julianne Moore, Melanie Griffiths, and Gillian Anderson in a onenight,
Valentine's Day charity benefit performance of "The Vagina Monologues"
at the Old Vic Theatre, on February 14, 1999.
Then, commencing in the spring, Cate won great praise in London, April
through July, appearing at the Almeida Theatre ("the small stage where
the giants play") in "Plenty". David Hare's masterpiece received its
first major revival since its premiere in April, 1978. The extended
production finally closed July 24, 1999.
During the summer, Cate was on display at various film fests and special
screenings in a chameleon-like performance as a soused housewife in a
seven minute short film written and directed by her husband, Andrew,
entitled Bangers.
And, Cate fans and Lord of the Rings fans alike rejoiced at the
October 1999 news that she had joined the cast of Peter Jackson's LOTR
film trilogy, playing the part of the beautiful elf Queen, Galadriel.
Shooting commenced on October 11.
Cate has also been linked to the new Sally Potter film, The Man Who
Cried, now in production in Europe, but, Cate's participation has
not been confirmed.
Cate is well known in cultured circles for her exquisite taste and
expertise in classical music. She is a regular visitor to ABC Classic FM
Radio in Sydney, where she is a frequent sit-in guest on such programs
as the Margaret Throsby Program, playing and discussing classical
music.
She is becoming increasingly well-known throughout the world not only
for her distinct sense of style and fashion, but, for her charitable
work on behalf of children's and women's causes.
Cate is also known to harbor a passion for Diet Coke and, according to
outlaw author, Will Self, said to be of a deceptive physical stature.
Updated October 1999
Cate Blanchett was born in Melbourne, Australia on May 14, 1969. Due to
an erroneous article in the New York press, that date has been widely
reported as being January 1.
800x600 screen size recommended.