NOT FEELING IT

Cate Blanchett Sounds Off on Award Shows: ‘It’s Blasphemy’

“It would be so nice if that happened behind closed doors,” the two-time Oscar winner said.

Much-lauded actress Cate Blanchett thinks there are “too many” awards shows in Hollywood, which are already too “public facing,” she revealed in a new interview.

“It’s blasphemy,” Blanchett said on the latest episode of Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers’ Las Culturistas podcast. The Black Bag actress said she wants to “go back to the day” when awards shows weren’t televised. “Bring that back and just have a great party where people can just let go,” she continued. “I mean, the industry is so scattered… which I think could potentially be exciting or it could be really depressing. But it’s at a pivot point, so we need to gather together and celebrate what it is that we do,” she said, “without it having to have any public facing” element.

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Blanchett has won two Oscars and several BAFTAs, Critics’ Choice, Golden Globes, Indie Spirits, and SAG Awards. In 2023’s awards season, Blanchett seemed to be well on her way to her third Oscar win, this time for Best Actress in Tár, but Michelle Yeoh’s historic win for Everything Everywhere All At Once contradicted predictions on Oscars night.

Yeoh stirred controversy when she reposted a clip suggesting that Blanchett didn’t need any more Oscars. Blanchett never publicly responded to the post, which Yeoh quickly deleted following backlash.

“The fashion’s great” at awards shows, Blanchett said, “And all of that stuff. Of course we’ll find out in the end who won or who didn’t win, but it would be so nice if that happened behind closed doors. It would be a very different evening.”

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While Blanchett wasn’t arguing for award shows to be abolished altogether—“still have them,” she said—she just thinks it’s all too much.

“It’s so great that people’s work is celebrated and in that way,” she added. “I think there’s a sense that, because this is the thing—all these films are amazing—so many amazing films and performances, and all of the craft awards, cinematography. You want to celebrate them, of course, but you can get sick of those films because they all get whittled down, as they must.”

Blanchett concluded, “I don’t want to get sick of any of those films because they’re brilliant.”

Eboni Boykin-PattersonEntertainment Reporter

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