Cate Blanchett is one of the most highly-acclaimed actresses of her generation, with eight Oscar nominations and two wins during her career so far. One of her most unusual roles is not as an 8,000 year old elf, but as one of six actors to portray different facets of Bob Dylan in Todd Haynes’ unconventional biopic I’m Not There.
I’m Not There was not the first time that Haynes had made an unusual musical movie, as it followed 1998’s Velvet Goldmine – starring Ewan McGregor and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as thinly-veiled versions of David Bowie and Iggy Pop. In one of her best movie roles, Cate Blanchett plays the legend in his folk singer ‘turned electric’ phase. Other actors who portray Dylan variants include Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, and Ben Whishaw. An 11-year-old Black child named Woody Guthrie is another spin on Dylan, played by Marcus Carl Franklin.
Blanchett was singled out for awards praise, including winning the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival. Speaking to Radio Free Entertainment in 2007, Blanchett explained why she took the role; “The idea of playing Bob Dylan was just so utterly ludicrous that of course I had to say yes. [laughs] And it was very daunting.”
Blanchett obviously enjoyed working with Haynes, as they reunited for 2015’s Carol – which she was also Oscar-nominated for. Blanchett’s most recent Oscar nomination was for Tar, and she won in 2013 for Blue Jasmine. Her first nomination was for portraying Queen Elizabeth in 1998, and she was nominated again for its sequel Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007). Her other Oscar win was for playing Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator (2004). There’s no doubting that she’s one of the best actors working today.
Todd Haynes has a new movie out later in 2023 called May December, starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. Cate Blanchett has a new movie from acclaimed Australian director Warwick Thornton out soon called The New Boy.
For more upcoming movies, check out what we know so far about The Marvels and Deadpool 3. For more biopics, check out our guide to the best movies based on a true story and you may also be interested in our guide to the best musicals.