Cate Blanchett Called ‘Unrecognizable’ as She Shows Wrinkles on Makeup-Free Face: ‘She Looks 70’

Cate Blanchett is called “unrecognizable” as she shows off the wrinkles on her makeup-free face.

The actress’ husband adores her the way she is even though she and her spouse didn’t like each other at their first meeting.

Cate can take her wig off and be herself around her four children, who look a lot like her.

In March 2023, Cate Blanchett showed off her makeup-free face at age 53, leaving some fans stunned and others critical of her look. However, one person always accepted her just as she was, her husband of then 25 years, screenwriter and playwright Andrew Upton.

Blanchett and Andrew didn’t like each when they first met through work while she was acting in a Chekov play, but it didn’t take long for them to change their minds. Three weeks after their meeting, they got engaged, then married in 1997, and by 2023 they’d been together for 26 years and still going strong!

Cate Blanchett ahead of the closing ceremony at the 77th Venice Film Festival on September 12, 2020, in Venice, Italy | Source: Getty Images

They were now parents to Dashiell, Roman, Ignatius, and Edith. The “Tár” actress and her husband pursued their separate passions but still worked together and were each other’s inspiration, with her saying in 1999 that he was one of the few “grounded people” she knew who had his “head in the stars,” with her recalling about their first meeting:

“He thought I was aloof, and I thought he was arrogant. And it just shows how wrong you can be. But once he kissed me, that was that.”

Finding happiness with Andrew impacted her performance as she went to the theater happy and fulfilled. In 2015, the actress recalled how they were in bed three days into their relationship, and he started a conversation using her name.

She panicked, thinking he would propose and she’d have to say yes, but he just informed her he was hungry and suggested they get something to eat! However, around 21 days into their relationship, he proposed after she’d prepared a “terrible” meal, and she said yes!

Andrew Upton and Cate Blanchett at the Sydney Theatre Company on September 25, 2009, in Sydney, Australia | Source: Getty Images

Andrew preferred “modern” things for anniversary gifts, with his wife revealing in 2020 that she received a vacuum cleaner and a mixer on their first wedding anniversary. The star joked that she now called their anniversary the “microwave” as it was less romantic and timeless.

Why Was Cate Called “Unrecognizable?”
On March 22, 2023, Blanchett was seen looking “unrecognizable” wearing funky sunglasses while walking through London. The “Carol” star appeared to have gone makeup-free with the bright orange-rimmed sunglasses, a navy blue wool coat, and a shirt that matched her eyewear.

Andrew’s wife added dark pants and black suede shoes with white detailing while carrying a large purple leather handbag with her hair styled away from her face. The actress’ wrinkles were visible in the Facebook article that Daily Mail shared, which elicited many comments.

A fan agreed that Blanchett was “unrecognizable” but that the paparazzi still caught her and urged them to leave celebrities alone when they didn’t want to be in the spotlight. However, another person thought she looked “wrecked,” with a third saying:

“Doesn’t look anything like her.”

Someone else questioned Daily Mail’s take that the celebrity looked “fresh-faced,” claiming she “looks 70.” Another Facebook user thought the star was “unrecognizable” but not for the right reason as she was 53 and the follower was almost 66, and said they would be unhappy if they looked like Blanchett.

A fan thought she looked “old and hard,” while someone else said she wasn’t “stunning” but looked like a “middle-aged man.” Another critic believed the actress looked “awful,” and a fan said the celebrity looked “old” like everyone else as “time and gravity” had caught up.

Cate Blanchett at the EE British Academy Film Awards on February 14, 2016, in London, England | Source: Getty Images

The actress probably didn’t care and didn’t have time to entertain her critics’ claims. Andrew’s wife was perhaps busy focusing on being a wife and a mother of four.

What Kind of Mother Is Cate, and Who Are Her Children?
Blanchett once revealed that her children, Dashiell, then 21 in 2023, Roman, then 18, and Ignatius, then 15, and Edith, then 8, were clueless about how famous she was. She was such a big celebrity that she was honored with the Chaplin Award at in New York City.

The Oscar-winning actress said her children didn’t know she was getting the award and that they were “disinterested” in her career in the “best possible” and “healthiest way.” Andrew’s wife told them she was going to New York for 36 hours and would be back on Wednesday, and they wished her a good time!

The celebrity [Cate Blanchett] said setting an example and showing how both could work well together was essential.

The star also kept them out of the spotlight, and in 2021 she said she was teaching them about checking the credibility of social media news. The “Blue Jasmine” actress shared that she was old enough to know what a primary, secondary, and tertiary source was.

So when her children mentioned something, she’d ask where they read it, who authenticated it, and that they had to learn how to read images and articles. Blanchett also urged them to check their sources before sharing things, and although they rolled their eyes, when they spoke to their friends they seemed responsible.

The actress once confessed that she loved watching and playing with her children while being surprised by how fast they grew and learned things. It was vital for her to enjoy making their lunches, taking them to school, and cooking home dinners.

Blanchett liked being a mother who not only took care of and loved them dearly but one who had a career. The celebrity said setting an example and showing how both could work well together was essential.

Speaking about how her children kept her humble, the actress shared how she took her wig off when she had dinner with them. The star also noted how they didn’t tolerate “navel-gazing.”