When you sit down for a Cate Blanchett movie, you know what you're getting: Qua-li-ty. Regardless of the genre or character—she's played everything from an elf queen to an actual queen—the actor always nails her parts. So it's no surprise that Blanchett has been nominated for eight Oscars (!!) and has won two.

And she has a potential third on the way. This year, Blanchett is nominated for Best Actress for her portrayal of fictional acclaimed composer—and songwriter of the less acclaimed "Apartment for Sale"—Lydia Tár in Tár. She faces stiff competition, particularly from Everything Everywhere All at Once star Michelle Yeoh, but if she wins, the 53-year-old actor will be the eighth person ever to win 3+ acting Oscars. And no one can say she doesn't belong on that list!

Whether you're rooting for her at this year's Academy Awards on March 12 or you just want to see some more of her work, you've come to the right place. Check out 12 of Cate Blanchett's best movies below, from drama to biopics to the MCU.

Elizabeth

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Cate Blanchett's first Oscar nomination came for her starring role in 1998's Elizabeth, a film about Queen Elizabeth I. The movie shows the early years of the 16th century queen's reign after coming to power following the death of her half sister, Mary Tudor. The young queen has to face war, religious division in England, and—to spice things up—a secret affair with an earl (Joseph Fiennes).

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The Talented Mr. Ripley

She might not lead 1999's The Talented Mr. Ripley, but Blanchett steals her scenes as a woman on the outskirts of the crime at hand. Set in the '50s, the film stars Matt Damon as Tom Ripley, who infiltrates the life of another man (Jude Law) and then steals his identity. The movie also co-stars a beautiful Italian setting and gorgeous vintage outfits.

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The Lord of the Rings

You have plenty of chances to catch Blanchett as Galadriel, the elf queen, in The Lord of the Rings franchise. She appeared as the character in six movies: the three Lord of the Rings films and the three Hobbit movies, spanning from 2001 to 2014. It all started with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, so we recommend you start there, too.

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The Aviator


In this Oscar-winning turn, Cate Blanchett played Katharine Hepburn, the only actor with four Academy Award wins, when she co-starred in The Aviator in 2004. She played movie icon alongside Leonardo DiCaprio's aircraft businessman/movie producer Howard Hughes.

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Notes on a Scandal

Blanchett co-stars with Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal. The 2006 thriller is about an art teacher, Sheba (Blanchett), who is having an affair with a young student and is found out by another teacher, Barbara (Dench), who is interested in Sheba herself. Cate received another Best Supporting Actress nod for this one.

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I'm Not There

In 2007's I'm Not There, Blanchett was one of several actors to play Bob Dylan. She played the version of the musician in the mid-1960s. Other actors who play Dylan in the film include Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, and Richard Gere. (And yep, this one was worthy of another Supporting Actress nomination.)

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Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Nine years after the original movie, Blanchett returned as Elizabeth I in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. And, yeah, the title says it all. This film shows Queen Elizabeth I during the later years of her reign. As with the first movie, Blanchett was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress.

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Blue Jasmine

Blanchett won her second Academy Award—this one for Best Actress—for 2013's Blue Jasmine. The film is about a wealthy white woman who is forced to move in with her poorer sister (Sally Hawkins) and her sister's husband (Bobby Cannavale) after suffering mental health issues and learning that her husband (Alec Baldwin) committed fraud.

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Carol


The 2015 beautiful romantic drama Carol stars Blanchett in the title role, with Rooney Mara as her love interest Therese. Carol is a wealthy mother going through a divorce while Therese is a younger aspiring photographer who meets Carol while working in a department store. Their love is forbidden given the early '50s setting, but the film shows how they're able to blossom their romance anyway. (If you're counting, this is Oscar nom seven.)

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Thor: Ragnarok


When Cate Blanchett joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was in what would become one of the most well-reviewed and most comedic films of mega-franchise. In the 2017 movie, she plays the villain Hela, Thor's (Chris Hemsworth) half-sister who wants to take over Asgard for, ya know, evil reasons.

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Don't Look Up


Blanchett does a lot more drama than comedy, but she got to show off her funny side in 2021's Don't Look Up. In the disaster satire, she plays a superficial TV host who begins an affair with a scientist (her Aviator co-star DiCaprio) who is trying to alert everyone to the impending end of the world.

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Tár

This brings us to Tár, Blanchett's latest starring role. In the movie, she plays Lydia Tár, an accomplished composer with a mysterious past who is being accused of inappropriate behavior toward up-and-coming young women in her field. The film very tensely follows her downfall in both her personal and professional life. And it could mark Blanchett's third Oscar win.

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