A two-time Oscar winner has announced her plans to retire from acting after becoming a huge household name. Australian star Cate Blanchett, 55, admitted she’s “serious” about quitting acting, and even “hesitating” to call herself and actress in a new interview.

The Hollywood favourite rose to fame through her powerful portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in the 1998 film, Elizabeth. The role earned her critical acclaim and a Golden Globe, BAFTA, and an Academy Award nomination. Since then, she has landed a role in Lord of the Rings, Oceans 8, and The Talented Mr Ripley.

Speaking to Radio Times, Blanchet explained that she has “a lot of things she wants to do with her life.” She went on: “My family roll their eyes every time I say it, but I mean it. I am serious about giving up acting.”

However, she stopped short of giving herself an exit date, or a final project. It comes after Blanchett recently completed a stint in the Off West End production of Chekhov’s The Seagull at London’s Barbican Theatre.

She’s also lined up to appear in two upcoming film projects: A futuristic action thriller Alpha Gang, and a drama called Father, Mother, Sister, Brother where she will share the screen with Adam Driver, which is due to release later this year.

Over her decorated career, Blanchett has been nominated for eight coveted Academy Awards, taking home two Oscars. The first was for Best Supporting Actress in 2008’s The Aviator, and the second for Best Leading Actress in 2014’s Blue Jasmine.

Over the past few years, Blanchett has been embracing more “fun” roles, including making a star turn in the music video for This Girl is Crying in her Latte by sparks. She later recreated the flamboyant dance routine by joining the band on stage at Glastonbury, complete with bright yellow suit and red headphones.

But her 2024 projects proved to be divisive, with Borderlands – an adaptation of the video game – bombing at the box office. Meanwhile, Apple TV+’s Disclaimer received middling reviews and viewership.

This weekend, the actress will be trying her hand at a radio play, appearing on BBC Radio Four for The Fever – a 90-minute monologue following a traveller who falls sick while travelling through a war-torn country.

This isn’t the first time Blanchett has opened up about her future in the acting business, telling Vanity Fair in 2023: “It’s not occasional – it's continual. On a daily or weekly basis, for sure. It’s a love affair, isn’t it? So you do fall in and out of love with it, and you have to be seduced back into it.”