Cate Blanchett: 10 of her best films, from Lord of the Rings to Blue Jasmine

As the Australian actor appears in a controversial new play at the National Theatre, we count down her most memorable on-screen performances

Alexandra Pollard,Clarisse Loughrey
Thursday 24 January 2019 06:00 EST
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Cate Blanchett’s new play When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other is already being mooted as the year’s most controversial UK production.

After a woman fainted during the show’s opening performance, London’s National Theatre sent round an email apologising for not warning the audience of its explicit content – but really, when Blanchett is involved, nothing should come as a surprise.

As one of the most fearless, versatile and accomplished actors around, Blanchett elevates and transforms any role she’s given. With her dusky voice and exquisitely controlled facial expressions, she is a Hollywood star and a theatrical chameleon, both standing out from, and disappearing into, every part, whether it’s an elf queen or a closeted Fifties lesbian.

You probably won’t be able to see her new play – tickets were so popular that they were allocated via a lottery – but at least her imposing filmography is there to soften the blow.

Here are her 10 best performances onscreen.

Blanchett will next be seen in Richard Linklater film, Where'd You Go, Bernadette?, an adaptation of the Maria Semple novel, that'll be released in August 2019.

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