One the Classiest Acts Around...

Tonight, I was browsing around aimlessly when I saw recent headlines about Cate Blanchett insisting on attending the 2020 arts summit in Australia, in spite of the fact she had given birth to her third son only a few days prior. To top it off, she brought little Ignatius along and as the little guy slept, he managed to steal the show (and Cate was given the moniker "Superwoman" by friend Hugh Jackman). It's also a testament to her status as an actress vs. a celebrity. While she still can work a red carpet like the best of them, she's not about to sink to others' levels by hawking overpriced photos of her off-spring for the highest bidder. All the while managing to give superlative performances on film and onstage in varying genres; defying categorization or typing. And all the while doing it brilliantly and making it seem effortless. I kick myself for missing her Hedda at the Brooklyn Academy of Music a couple years back. Hopefully she'll make a Broadway appearance one of these days. Until then, perhaps we should all save our pennies and see her in A Streetcar Named Desire when she plays Blanche in August 2009 at the Sydney Theatre Company.

So in my first count-down...

10 Random Reasons to love Cate Blanchett:

10. She's not pimping out her newborn baby to the tabloids for exorbitant sums.
9. She's in the upcoming Indiana Jones film. And she's a complete bad-ass.
8. She practically fell out of her chair in excitement when Marion Cotillard won the Oscar this year.
7. She made a cameo in Hot Fuzz.
6. She played Bob Dylan. Probably better than anyone else could have.
5. She's played Elizabeth I, Katharine Hepburn and Galadriel.
4. Unlike many others, she has not forsaken the stage.
3. She's one of the most ridiculously talented people ever.
2. She's an ardent supporter of the arts in her native Australia.
1. She's Cate Blanchett. Period.