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Cate Blanchett is one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors. Widely considered to be one of the greatest performers of her generation, Blanchett has appeared in movies such as Elizabeth, Notes on a Scandal, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Aviator, and Blue Jasmine.

Over the course of her career, Blanchett has won numerous awards and honors, including two Academy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. While Blanchett has a high-powered Hollywood career, she enjoys a relatively private home life and has been with her husband, Andrew Upton, since the mid-’90s.

Over the years, Blanchett has opened up a few times about her relationship with Upton, even admitting that she didn’t like him very much when they first met.

When did Cate Blanchett meet her husband?

Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett walks the red carpet ahead of the ‘The House With A Clock In Its Walls | Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Staff

Blanchett was already an established star when she first crossed paths with Andrew Upton. While they quickly discovered that they had a lot in common, Blanchett and Upton didn’t connect initially during their first meeting. In a 2013 interview with Jay Leno, Blanchett opened up about their first encounter. According to The Daily Mail, Blanchett told Leno, “It was mostly animosity… He thought I was aloof and I thought he was arrogant.”

The actor described, “We just didn’t really connect and we were going out with other people, who we’re still friends with and it was always an issue when the four of us went out that Andrew and I had something going on.”

In fact, it wasn’t until a late-night game of poker that Blanchett and Upton realized they had chemistry, sharing their first kiss. Things moved quickly from there. In a 2015 interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Blanchett revealed that their courtship lasted only 21 days.

“After three days he turned to me, we were in bed, as you are after three days,” Blanchett joked, according to E! Online. “He said ‘Cate,’ and I thought, s–t, he’s gonna ask me to marry him and I’m gonna have to say yes and then he said, ‘No, I’m hungry. Do you want to go get something to eat?’ But then he asked me after about 21 days and I said yes.”

How many children do Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton have?

Blanchett and Upton have been together ever since. The two married in December 1997. They welcomed their first son, Dashiell John Upton, in 2001, followed by Roman Upton in 2004, and Ignatius Martin Upton in 2008. In 2015, they adopted a daughter named Edith Vivian Patricia Upton.

In December 2020, Blanchett opened up about their adoption journey, revealing that it was “wonderful” to add a girl to their family of boys. As reported by People Magazine, Blanchett admitted, “We’re besotted. Fourth time around, it’s extraordinary.”

Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton both have very high-powered careers

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These days, Blanchett is one of the most well-respected stars in Hollywood and she manages it all while she runs her home with Upton. Just as Blanchett is a hardworking actor, Upton has his own busy career as a screenwriter and playwright. Blanchett has openly discussed how stressful it can be to have such a busy schedule, and in a July 2020 interview, she admitted that she might have a “perverse attraction to chaos.” 

The Daily Mail reports that Blanchett said, “My husband and I have been together for a long time. It’s wonderful, but it takes work. We’re always biting off more than we can chew – but that’s what makes life interesting.” Blanchett and Upton live in East Sussex as well as Australia, where they raise their four children and work on their own individual projects.

They have also worked on projects together, including working as artistic directors for the Sydney Theatre Company, according to IMDb. After more than 25 years together, it’s clear that Blanchett and her husband are in it for the long haul.