Cate Blanchett didn’t earn the largest paycheck for her time in Middle-earth.
The actress, known for her role as Galadriel in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy (and The Hobbit prequels), was asked about her “biggest paycheck” for a film during her appearance on the Wednesday, August 7, episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. Even host Andy Cohen was surprised by her response.
When Cohen speculated that her biggest paycheck might have come from Lord of the Rings, Blanchett, 55, appeared taken aback, replying, “Are you kidding me?”
“No, no one got paid anything for that movie,” she clarified.
Cohen then inquired if she had received a “piece of the back end.” Blanchett responded, “No, that was way before any of that … no, nothing.”
The Oscar winner explained her motivation for joining the project: “I wanted to work with the guy who made Braindead,” referring to Jackson’s earlier 1992 horror/comedy film.
Blanchett added with a laugh, “I mean, I basically got free sandwiches and I got to keep my ears.” (She wore pointed prosthetic ears to complete Galadriel’s Elven look in the series.) She reiterated, “No, no one got paid anything.”
When asked about her biggest paycheck to date, Blanchett was reserved, stating, “Well, not very often. Women don’t get paid as much as you think they do.”
Blanchett’s most recent role is as the notorious outlaw Lilith in a film adaptation of the video game *Borderlands*. At the movie’s Los Angeles premiere on Tuesday, August 6, the actress turned heads in an outfit made of 102 spoons.
Blanchett’s stylist, Elizabeth Stewart, shared a video on Instagram of the star showcasing her look before stepping onto the red carpet, captioning it,
“She found the ring and it’s @louisvuitton #CateBlanchett heading to @borderlandsfilm premiere wearing – believe it or not – a top made of 102 spoons from @hoda_kova.”
Hodakova is a European fashion brand focused on sustainability, utilizing deadstock and upcycled materials to create “artisanal pieces.”
On Wednesday, Stewart posted a photo of Blanchett on the red carpet in her unique Hodakova outfit, humorously captioning it, “A whole new meaning for Spooning!”
Borderlands tells the story of a ragtag group of friends, led by Blanchett’s Lilith, who returns to her home planet of Pandora after being hired to find the missing daughter of weapons manufacturer Atlas (played by Édgar Ramírez).
The film also stars Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana Greenblatt, Gina Gershon, and Jack Black.
