Oscars flashback: An Oscar for playing an Oscar winner

Never question the mode Hollywood loves a bully aged biopic. After all, the 77th Academy Awards ceremony, held connected Feb. 27, 2005, astatine the Kodak Theatre successful Los Angeles, provides each the impervious you need. Not lone did pb histrion spell to Jamie Foxx for playing Ray Charles successful “Ray,” but the supporting histrion triumph went to a stellar show by Cate Blanchett for playing fable Katharine Hepburn.

Flying high

In awarding the Oscar to Blanchett for portraying Hepburn successful Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator,” the academy acceptable a caller milestone. Blanchett’s grant was the archetypal clip a performer had won an Oscar for a portrayal of a erstwhile Oscar winner. Hepburn, who died successful 2003, was nominated 12 times and yet won 4 Oscars — each successful starring roles. And those who bask synchronicity mightiness bask knowing that Hepburn was often referred to arsenic “the large Kate” — thing Cate Blanchett apt appreciates.

Over the years, Blanchett has really made it thing of a wont to get nominated for playing existent radical — she played Queen Elizabeth I doubly successful “Elizabeth” and “Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” and was nominated for them successful 1999 and 2008; and she played a facet of Bob Dylan successful “I’m Not There,” picking up a information successful 2008.

This was Blanchett’s 2nd information (she has 8 total) and her archetypal win. She would triumph again successful 2014 arsenic the pb successful “Blue Jasmine.”

Accepting the grant from presenter Tim Robbins, she made definite to notation the root of inspiration for her role. After thanking her household and husband, shaper Andrew Upton, she noted, “When you play idiosyncratic arsenic terrifyingly good known arsenic Katharine Hepburn, it’s a collaborative effort; you request arsenic overmuch assistance arsenic you tin get. And convey you, of course, to Miss Hepburn. The longevity of her career, I think, is inspiring to everyone.” She past thanked Scorsese, and added, “I anticipation my lad volition wed your daughter.” Scorsese, successful the audience, laughed heartily.

The manager had spotted Blanchett 2 decades earlier astatine the Golden Globes, arsenic Vanity Fair reported. And arsenic Scorsese observed her successful the ballroom, helium realized that she would beryllium cleanable for a movie helium was processing — “The Aviator.” He and his woman agreed simultaneously: “We some looked astatine each different and said, ‘Katharine Hepburn, determination she is.’”

Back down to earth

With that arsenic a backdrop, it’s hard to ideate the different actresses successful the moving had overmuch of a chance. Three of the nominees were connected their archetypal nods: Virginia Madsen, for playing a waitress hanging retired with a brace of vino drinkers successful “Sideways”; Sophie Okonedo arsenic the woman of a hotelier sheltering victims of a genocide successful “Hotel Rwanda”; and Natalie Portman arsenic the duplicitous Alice/Jane successful “Closer.” Portman would spell connected to triumph successful 2011 for “Black Swan” and beryllium nominated again successful 2017 for “Jackie.” The others person not been nominated since.

Laura Linney rounded retired the database connected the 2nd of her 3 nominations, her archetypal and lone truthful acold successful a supporting role, for playing the researcher woman of the rubric quality of “Kinsey.”