Cate Blanchett reveals shock plan to quit acting for good

Two-time winner, , has announced her plan to quit acting for good in news which will come as a shock to her legion of loyal fans. The Australian star, 55, who bagged gongs for Best Supporting Actress in The Aviator in 2005 and Best Actress in Blue Jasmine in 2014 is one of Hollywood's hottest talents.

However, admitting she won't be in front of the cameras forever because she has 'lots more things she wants to do with her life', the mum-of-four has insisted she is "serious about giving up acting", adding that she's not totally comfortable with being a celebrity. Lifting the lid on her future plans, she said: "My family roll their eyes every time I say it, but I mean it. I am serious about giving up acting. (There are) a lot of things I want to do with my life.”

Cate, who is preparing to star in her first radio drama, The Fever, on Radio 4, most recently starred in the spy thriller Black Bag (2025).

However, telling the she still feels like she's on the "periphery" of the showbiz , she said: “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.”

Cate rose to fame with her role as Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth (1998), and has gone on to star in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy as Galadriel, and Ocean’s 8 (2018).

She has also featured in a wide variety of theatre productions, and was a co-director of the Sydney Theatre Company from 2008 to 2013, alongside her husband Andrew Upton, who remained in the role until 2015.

Two years ago, Cate said she was thinking about retiring from acting again after laying bare the huge sacrifices she made for her most powerful – and controversial – role in psychological drama, Tár.

She had to live apart from her husband, Andrew Upton, and their “extraordinary children” while she filmed in Asia and Berlin for more than two months.

Talking to the , she said: “My daughter was there in Berlin, but I was away from my husband and other three children for quite a while, so it was very painful,” says Cate, who admits her life is a “constant juggle between following your personal, professional passion and trying to serve your family”.

The “mum guilt” weighed so heavily on her shoulders that the actress said she was prepared to step back from the career, which has afforded her a life of luxury.

“It’s not occasional – it’s continual,” she explained as she contemplates her feelings about an early retirement, adding: “On a daily or weekly basis, for sure. I just said no to a couple of things. I think it’s time to be quiet.”

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