Born May 14, 1969 in Melbourne, Australia, Cate is an accomplished stage, television and screen actress. Her mother is Australian and her father is from Texas. She has an older brother named Bob and a younger sister named Genevive. Cate was raised by her mother following her father's passing when she was ten.
Cate grew up in Melbourne, and she began her studies of fine arts and economics at the University of Melbourne. She then attended Methodist Ladies College, where she was part of "Cato" House drama group. Cate left college life to continue her education via world travel. After the expiration of her visitor's visa forced her to leave England, she eventually found herself in Egypt, and desperate for money. In an effort to earn some cash, she signed on as an extra in an Arabic boxing film. It was the first time she had ever been on a film set, and this experience left a lasting impression on her future goals.
Cate return to Melbourne and enrolled at Australia's prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Art. Cate went on to star in "Oleanna" for The Sydney Theater Company. She won the Rosemont Best Actress Award. In 1995 and was nominated for Best Female Performance for Ophelia in the Belvoir Street Theater Company's production of "Hamlet". Cates other theater credits include Helen in the Sydney Theater Company's "Sweet Phoebe", Miranda in "The Tempest", and Rose in "The Blind Giant Is Dancing", again for the Belvoir Street Theater Company.
Cate co-starred on the Australian Broadcasting Company's "Heartland" She also played Bianca in ABC's "Bordertown", and Janie Morris in "G.P.", and in ABC's popular series, "Police Rescue". Cate made her feature film debut in Bruce Beresford's, Paradise Road. Then she starred in "Thank God He Met Lizzie", playing the title role. This part won Cate the Australian Film Institute's Best Supporting Actress Award.
In June of 1997, she married Andrew Upton, a script and continuity editor. Cate starred as Queen Elizabeth I in Shekhar Kapur's "Elizabeth". As a result of "Elizabeth", Cate was honored with the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Dramatic Motion Picture, and was designated Best Actress for her performance by The Broadcast Film Critics Association, The Chicago Film Critics Association, The London Critics Circle, The Golden Satellite Awards, The Toronto Film Critics Association, and The Online Film Critics Society. She was also nominated by her peers for the prestigious Screen Actors Guild Best Actress Award, and received an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress.
In 1999 she got the part of Meredith Logue in the film "The Talented Mr. Ripley" starring Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow. Cate co-starred in the comedy "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Pushing Tin".
She also played the elf queen in "Lord of the Rings" film.
Fountain, The (2003) .... Izzi
Veronica Guerin (2003) .... Veronica Guerin
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003) .... Galadriel,
Queen of the Galadrim
Making of 'The Lord of the Rings', The (2002) (V) .... Herself/Galadriel
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002) .... Galadriel
Heaven (2002) .... Philippa Paccard
Inside Bandits (2001) (V) .... Herself
National Geographic: Beyond the Movie - The Lord of the Rings (2001) (TV)
.... Herself/Galadriel, Lady of the Galadhrim
Shipping News, The (2001) .... Petal
Charlotte Gray (2001) .... Charlotte Gray
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,
Passage to Middle-earth: Making of Lord of the Rings, A (2001) (TV) ....
Herself
Quest for the Ring (2001) (TV) .... Herself/Galadriel
Bandits (2001) .... Kate Wheeler
"Drama School" (2000) TV Series .... Herself
Gift, The (2000) .... Annie Wilson
Man Who Cried, The (2000) .... Lola
Orange British Academy Film Awards, The (2000) (TV) .... Herself
Bangers (1999) .... Julie-Anne
Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999) .... Meredith Logue
Confused Loving
Musical Gifted Intelligent Beautiful Tender Sensitive Haunted Passionate
Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999) (USA: complete title)
Fox Studios Australia: The Grand Opening (1999) (TV) .... Herself
Pushing Tin (1999) .... Connie Falzone
Ideal Husband, An (1999) .... Lady Gertrude Chiltern
Elizabeth (1998) .... Queen Elizabeth I
Oscar and Lucinda (1997) .... Lucinda Leplastrier
Thank God He Met Lizzie (1997) .... Lizzie
Paradise Road (1997) .... Susan Macarthy
Parklands (1996) .... Rosie
"Bordertown" (1995) (mini) TV Series .... Bianca
"Heartland" (1994) (mini) TV Series .... Elizabeth Ashton
Police Rescue (1994) .... Vivian
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