Cate Blanchett Plays Lesbian In 'Carol'; Actress Reveals Real-Life Past Relationships With Women

Cate Blanchett not only plays a lesbian in her upcoming movie “Carol,” but the two-time Academy Award-winner claims to have had lesbian relationships in real life. The Australian actress made the revelation in a recent interview with Variety magazine.

Blanchett, 45, has been married to playwright Andrew Upton for almost two decades. They have four children. In "Carol," Blanchett plays a married older woman who has an affair with a very young woman, played by Rooney Mara. The film is based on the 1952 Patricia Highsmith novel “The Price of Salt” and is set in 1950s New York City.

When Variety asked Blanchett if “Carol” marked her first experience with homosexuality, she responded by asking interviewer Ramin Seetodeh, "On film, or in real life?" Blanchett then said she has been in lesbian relationships “many times."

Blanchett also shared details on how she prepared for her role in “Carol.” She said she read a lot of “girl-on-girl” books based in the 1950s era. “I think there are a lot of people that exist like [her character] who don't feel the need to shout things from the rafters," Blanchett told Variety.

It was reportedly not easy for director Todd Haynes to find financial backing for a film about a relationship between two women. Blanchett said she was not sure the film would ever be released. But the crew completed 34 days of shooting in Cincinnati in 2014. Some critics say Blanchett could get a seventh Oscar nomination for her work.

“Carol” will premiere Sunday at the Cannes Film Festival in France.