Cate Blanchett reveals she'd rather be known as an actor than actress as star supports Berlin Film Festival's plan to hand out gender-neutral prizes
Cate Blanchett has revealed she prefers to be referred to as an actor than an actress, as she often found the latter term to be used in a 'pejorative sense'.
The 51-year-old Mrs. America star made the revelation on Wednesday at the Venice Film Festival, where she is heading this year's jury.
Throwing her support behind Berlin International Film Festival's new plan to do away with gendered awards, she told AFP: 'I have always referred to myself as an actor.
Actor: Cate Blanchett has revealed she prefers to be referred to as an actor than an actress, as she often found the latter term to be used in a 'pejorative sense'. Pictured in 2018
'I am of the generation where the word actress was used almost always in a pejorative sense. So I claim the other space.'
Australian Cate is heading the jury at Venice during an historic year, when the number of women directors competing for the top prize has quadrupled to eight.
'I think a good performance is a good performance no matter the sexual orientation of who is making them,' she added of her thoughts on the matter.
Support: Throwing her support behind Berlin Film Festival's new plan to do away with gendered awards, she said, 'I have always referred to myself as an actor' Pictured in January
'The hardest thing as a jury member is to sit in judgement of other people's work. That's the hardest thing not the demarcation.'
The Venice Film Festival is one of the world's oldest award ceremonies and is listed as one of the 'Big Five' events. It starts on 2 September and ends on the 12 September.
According to Variety, when the Film Festival unveiled its official selection in late July, the 'unprecedented inclusion of eight female-directed titles within the 18-film roster was heralded as welcome progress for an event that has come under fire in recent years for scarce representation of female filmmakers.'
Cate was chosen to head the jury back in January, making her the third woman in four years to hold the role.
Stylish: The Australian star was seen making a stylish arrival in Venice on Tuesday, ahead of the new socially distanced film festival kicking off
The critically-acclaimed screen star was nominated this year for a Golden Globe in the Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category for her role as the title character in Where'd You Go Bernadette.
Cate, who was born and raised in Melbourne, now lives in a manor called Highwell House near Crowborough, about an hour south of London.
She is married to playwright and director Andrew Upton, with whom she shares four children, Dashiell 18, Roman, 16, Ignatius, 12 and Edith, five.
The family previously lived in Hunters Hill, Sydney, before relocating to the UK.
Family: She is married to playwright and director Andrew Upton, with whom she shares four children, Dashiell 18, Roman, 16, Ignatius, 12 and Edith, five. Pictured in 2017
