Cate Blanchett says she’s serious about eventually leaving acting — not out of fatigue, but from a desire to explore other parts of life. In a new interview with Radio Times (via The Standard), the two-time Oscar winner shared that, while she’s not retiring yet, the idea has been on her mind for some time.
"My family roll their eyes every time I say it, but I mean it," Blanchett shared. "[There are] a lot of things I want to do with my life."
While she isn’t announcing a formal retirement, Blanchett made it clear that her time in the spotlight may be limited as she begins to look toward other passions and interests. Her comments come just after starring alongside Michael Fassbender in Steven Soderbergh’s espionage thriller Black Bag, which has grossed $21 million at the domestic box office.
Earlier this year, at the Rotterdam Film Festival, Blanchett shared that she never thought a career in film was possible. "I was resigned, happily, to a career in theater. I didn’t think I was that girl," she said.
"There was a sense women had a certain 'shelf life' in the film industry and a certain type of women got to parade on the screen and others didn’t."
Despite these reflections, Blanchett remains active on stage and screen. She’ll next appear opposite Adam Driver in Jim Jarmusch’s upcoming film Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, which also features Mayim Bialik, Tom Waits and Charlotte Rampling. She is also currently performing on London’s West End in a new adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull.
Whether or not she steps away soon, Blanchett’s reflections suggest she’s thinking seriously about what the next chapter might hold.
