Born May 14, 1969 / Melbourne, Australia

Cate Blanchett is an internationally acclaimed actress and producer, and she is renowned for her refined acting skills, and her wide-ranging social contributions.

She graduated from Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in the early 1990s. She starred in Australian theatre, film and television shows before her breakout international film Elizabeth in 1998. Since then, her many diverse film credits have included roles in The Aviator (2004), I'm Not There (2007), Blue Jasmine (2013), Carol (2015), Tár (2022), in a wide-ranging career during which she has been awarded two Academy Awards, four BAFTAs, four Golden Globes, and three SAG Awards.

Other screen credits include roles in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (both 2008), The Hobbit (2012-2014), Ocean's 8 (2018), Nightmare Alley (2021), Black Bag, Father Mother Sister Brother (both 2025).

She is also the Co-Founder and Principal of film and television production company, Dirty Films. Her credits include Carol and Tár. She has headed juries at Cannes International Film Festival and Venice International Film Festival.

Still active on the stage, Blanchett has previously appeared at the National Theatre most recently in Chekhov's The Seagull at the Barbican Theatre, London. From August to October 2026, she is playing in Electra/Persona at the Lyttelton Theatre, London. She serves on the board of the National Theatre.

Blanchett served as co-Artistic Director and co-CEO of Sydney Theatre Company (STC) with Andrew Upton from 2008 to 2012, producing 16 shows a year across 4 stages, which toured extensively nationally and internationally. She performed in The Present, for which she earned a Tony nomination on Broadway, Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, and Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. Among numerous awards at STC, Blanchett and Upton received the Green Globe Award for having transformed the company into one of the world's greenest arts organizations. She is also Patron of the Sydney Film Festival and NIDA Foundation.

Blanchett is also widely recognized for her humanitarian engagement. She created the Displacement Film Fund which empowers refugee and displaced filmmakers, as well as the Proof-of-Concept development program, supporting filmmakers who amplify the voices of women, trans, and non-binary people. She is also a Global Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR.

Her exceptional artistic contributions to the fields of film and theater, together with her dedication to humanitarian causes in connection with these endeavors, have made her a respected figure. She has been accoladed also for a BFI Fellowship, Stanley Kubrick Award for Excellence in Film, Honorary Cesar. She has been named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of France, Companion of the Order of Australia, and received Honorary Doctorates from the University of New South Wales, University of Sydney, and Macquarie University.

Recently, Blanchett was appointed as the Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre at Oxford University's St Catherine's College for the 2026/27 academic year. In this role, she will present lectures, lead conversations, and engage in direct dialogue with students and the wider university community.