Cate Blanchett
A gifted performer who developed her talent at a young age, actress Cate Blanchett grew into an exceptional actress who achieved international acclaim with her Oscar-nominated turn as a young Elizabeth I in "Elizabeth" (1998). Prior to that role, the alluring Australian found herself thrust into the spotlight with just her third feature, "Oscar and Lucinda" (1997). Post-"Elizabeth," Blanchett quickly blossomed into one of Hollywood's most esteemed actresses. Following a prominent turn as a wealthy socialite in "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1999), she was a Southern woman with psychic abilities in "The Gift" (2000), played Kevin Spacey's wife in "The Shipping News" (2001) and was the titular slain Irish journalist in "Veronica Guerin" (2003). Seemingly favoring smaller films, it came as a surprise that Blanchett appeared as the elf Galadriel in the blockbuster trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings" (2001-03), which she followed with a critically hailed performance as Katharine Hepburn in "The Aviator" (2004). From there, Blanchett traveled easily from small indies to major studio films, earning acclaim for her work in "Babel" (2006), "Notes on a Scandal" (2006) and "I'm Not There" (2007), to vamping her way through "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008). Following further critical praise for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (2008), Blanchett delivered memorable turns in Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine" (2013), winning the Best Actress Oscar for her role, and Todd Haynes' 1950s period piece "Carol" (2015), based on Patricia Highsmith's lesbian-themed novel The Price of Salt. Blanchett's range and remarkable skill solidified her status as one of Hollywood's most preeminent performers.