Cate Blanchett doesn’t always plan to act — in fact she’s already planning her retirement.
Blanchett, 55, explained during an interview with Radio Times on Tuesday, April 15, why she isn’t sure about referring to herself as an actress, saying, “It’s because I’m giving up. My family roll their eyes every time I say it, but I mean it.”
The thought about taking a step back has been on Blanchett’s mind for a while. “I am serious about giving up acting,” she added. “[There are] a lot of things I want to do with my life.”
Later in the interview, Blanchett admitted that she never got used to being in the public eye.
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“When you go on a talk show, or even here now, and then you see soundbites of things you’ve said, pulled out and italicized, they sound really loud. I’m not that person,” she shared. “I make more sense in motion — it’s been a long time to remotely get comfortable with the idea of being photographed.”
Blanchett enjoyed being “on the periphery,” adding, “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.”
Before contemplating a retirement, Blanchett rose to stardom with her roles in The Lord of the Rings and The Talented Mr. Ripley. She received Oscar nominations for movies such as The Aviator, Blue Jasmine (which she won) and Tár. More recently, Blanchett starred in Alfonso Cuarón’s Apple TV+ series Disclaimer and Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag film, which included Michael Fassbender. Blanchett recently wrapped on Father, Mother, Sister, Brother and is currently filming Alpha Gang with David and Nathan Zellner.
Blanchett isn’t the only actor who recently spoke out about exploring something new. Cobra Kai‘s Courtney Henggeler made headlines earlier this month after she announced her decision to quit acting after two decades.
“After 20-plus years of fighting the good fight in the acting business, I hung up my gloves on Friday,” she wrote via Substack. “I called my agents and told them I was tapping out. I no longer wanted to be a cog in the wheel of the machine.”
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Henggeler, 46, reflected on her complicated experience in the entertainment industry. “All I’ve ever known in my professional life was acting. But not even the art or craft of acting. All I’ve truly ever knew was the hustle,” she continued. “The hustle, the grind, sprinkled occasionally with the odd acting job. Perhaps a line or two to TV’s Dr. House – ‘Sorry’ (that’s it. That was my line. Genius).”
Over the years, it was hard for Henggeler to deal with the hustle that came with smaller roles.
“We survived off the crumbs. We filled our cup with the possibility; our mugs with delusion. Our plates were empty, but a golden goose hung over our heads,” she noted. “Today might be the day. Today might be the day I reach the golden goose.”
Henggeler concluded: “For years I silenced the voice in my head, begging me to walk away. The voice, the constant gnawing. Not because of the acting itself. But because of the gauntlet I had to run to reach the acting,” she continued. “What once felt necessary, something I willingly participated, even celebrated, became stifling.”
