This is not the first time Blanchett, one of the most critically acclaimed actors of her generation (and beyond), has floated retirement. In 2023, she admitted that intense roles like TÁR require a lot of time for her to process. “Obviously I’m lucky enough to work with some amazing directors who have changed my life, but when it all comes together like that, it does stay with you… So I don’t ever want to work again,” she added somewhat jokingly. On the same press tour (via The Mirror), she shared that it’s “very painful” to be away from her family for long stretches at a time, which induces feelings of parental guilt. “It’s not occasional—it’s continual,” she said. “On a daily or weekly basis, for sure. I just said no to a couple of things. I think it’s time to be quiet.”
Blanchett continued to work after TÁR and has several upcoming projects on her docket, so the retirement does not seem to be imminent. Certainly, we’ve seen a lot of performers toy with the idea of quitting without ever really committing to it. But lest we be accused of rolling our eyes at the notion like Blanchett’s family does, she sounds quite sincere about her reasoning. Speaking with The Project in 2023, she said she was “profoundly homesick” for Australia, and mused what she’d do if she was able to stay in one place. “I’m very obsessed, as most Australians, obsessed by water. I want to be by the water, in the water,” she said. “I would love to learn to be patient, to be still and think. My grandmother was a wonderful gardener and my mother is likewise an excellent gardener and she lives with us, and I really want to spend time in the garden with my mum.”
