Cate Blanchett may be looking to diversify her career away from the screen. The acclaimed actress/producer told the Radio Times that she is considering “giving up acting,” however, there is no timeline just yet for a possible exit.
“My family roll their eyes every time I say it, but I mean it: I am serious about giving up acting,” Blanchett said. “[There are] a lot of things I want to do with my life.”
IndieWire has reached out for additional comment.
Blanchett won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2005 for “The Aviator” and Best Actress in 2014 for “Blue Jasmine.” She also was nominated for six other Oscars. The prolific star recently led Guy Maddin’s “Rumours,” Alfonso Cuarón’s series “Disclaimer,” Eli Roth’s “Borderlands,” and Steven Soderbergh’s “Black Bag.” Blanchett will next appear in Jim Jarmusch’s “Father, Mother, Sister, Brother.”
Blanchett, through her Dirty Films banner, also launched Proof of Concept with Netflix and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative in 2023. Proof of Concept is a program that grants female, trans, and non-binary filmmakers $50,000 for features or TV series.
In addition to acting and producing, Blanchett also has to weather being a celebrity. She told the Radio Times that across her years of fame, she hasn’t escaped the “feeling of being uncomfortable” in the spotlight.
“When you go on a talk show, or even here now, and then you see soundbites of things you’ve said, pulled out and italicized, they sound really loud. I’m not that person,” Blanchett said. “I make more sense in motion – it’s been a long time to remotely get comfortable with the idea of being photographed.”
Blanchett added, “I’ve always felt like I’m on the periphery of things, so I’m always surprised when I belong anywhere. I go with curiosity into whatever environment that I’m in, not expecting to be accepted or welcomed. I’ve spent a lifetime getting comfortable with the feeling of being uncomfortable.”
Blanchett further said during Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang‘s “Las Culturistas” podcast earlier this year that she would prefer to go “back to the day” when awards shows weren’t televised to the public.
“Bring that back and just have a great party where people can just let go. I mean, the industry is so scattered and at such a point…which I think potentially could be exciting or could really be depressing, but it’s at a pivot point, and so we need to gather together and celebrate what it is that we do, without it having to have any public-facing. I mean, the fashion is great, and all of that stuff. We’ll find out in the end who won or who didn’t win. But it would be so nice [if] that happened behind closed doors. Absolutely a very different evening.”
