Australian actress Cate Blanchett is regarded as one of the best actresses of her generation and is recognized for her versatile work across movies and on-stage. She rose to worldwide recognition after she portrayed the character of Queen Elizabeth I in 1998’s Elizabeth. The actress’ biggest commercial success came with The Lord of the Rings trilogy, for which she was highly praised.
The actress is lauded for her ability to ace a wide array of diverse accents, including English, Irish, French, and various regional American accents. Critics have described Blanchett as someone who has always been daring, uncompromising, and perpetually resolute. The actress shared in an interview what it felt like to return to one of her beloved characters after a while.
Cate Blanchett shared returning to play Galadriel felt like ‘going back to summer camp’
Actress Cate Blanchett played elf leader Galadriel in Peter Jackson‘s directed The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The trilogy was a massive success and became popular with every film’s release and is now regarded as one of the greatest fantasy movies of all time.
Blanchett’s performance in the trilogy was highly appreciated, and it allowed the actress to diversify her range of roles in the future.
The actress returned to play the character in 2012’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey followed by the other two movies as well. In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, the actress revealed that she did not expect that her character would return. But she added,
When I heard Peter [Jackson], Fran [Walsh], and Philippa [Boyens] were going to embark upon The Hobbit, I was a stalker, and I literally called my agent pretty much every day to say, ‘Is there any word yet? Is Galadriel going to be in it?’ I kept getting an answer that Peter did not know yet.
Blanchett mentioned that she understood why she wasn’t receiving an answer because Galadriel does not appear a lot in The Hobbit, so she was sort of prepared, but then she was informed that her character would appear in the movie in a small part. The actress added that it felt like she was going back to summer camp, mentioning that it’s such an amazing thing to return to something that began almost 12 years ago.
The Australian actress goes on to say that Peter Jackson was the reason she was so excited about being a part of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. She complimented the director by stating that she did not think anyone would have been able to do it better than Jackson.
She mentioned that he has such an extraordinary sense of the sublime and the grotesque and that, according to her, is a very unique quality to have.
Cate Blanchett touched upon her potential return for The Lord of the Rings spin-off
The actress, according to Irish News, was asked if she would return to The Lord of the Rings world with the upcoming spin-off movie as Galadriel. To which she said,
I would do anything with Andy Serkis, anything; I love him to death. That bunch of people has been like a life raft for me, and I adore Andy, so yes. I finally made my way into The Hobbit.
Blanchett mentioned that neither she has been approached for making a return nor has she reached out to the team as of now. But she’d love to return if the opportunity comes her way.
The actress had also appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, where she went on to reveal that she didn’t get much for the role she played in The Lord of the Rings. She said,
No one got paid anything to do that movie. I wanted to work with the guy who made Braindead. I basically got free sandwiches; they fed me, and I got to keep my ears, which is something.
The actress also added that women don’t get paid as much as one thinks they do. Cate Blanchett was highly lauded for her work in the films and fans would love to see her again in the LOTR world if something works out for her character.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is available to stream on Hulu.
Frequently asked questions
What did Cate Blanchett mean by calling herself a “stalker” over The Hobbit?
In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Blanchett said that once she heard Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens were making The Hobbit, she “was a stalker” who phoned her agent almost every day to ask whether her Lord of the Rings character, Galadriel, would appear. She kept being told Jackson had not decided yet, and she understood the uncertainty because Galadriel barely features in the original Hobbit story.
Did Cate Blanchett return as Galadriel in The Hobbit films?
Yes. After originating the elf leader Galadriel in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Blanchett reprised the role in The Hobbit, beginning with 2012’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. She described coming back to the character as feeling like “going back to summer camp” and credited Jackson’s direction as the reason she was so excited to be part of the franchise.
Would Cate Blanchett return as Galadriel for a Lord of the Rings spin-off?
Blanchett indicated she would be open to it. Speaking to Irish News, she said she would “do anything with Andy Serkis” and called that group of collaborators “a life raft” for her. She noted, however, that as of the interview she had neither been approached about a return nor reached out to the team herself, so any comeback remains a possibility rather than a confirmed plan.
