Cate Blanchett attended the ceremony where she was nominated in the category of Best Actress for her role in the production of “The Seagull” at the London Barbican Theatre.
Cate Blanchett did not back down. While attending the Olivier Awards in London on Sunday, April 12, the 56-year-old actress openly showed her displeasure when a photographer did not respect the boundaries she had set. Despite the demands from Cate Blanchett, the photographer continued to insist, causing the Australian actress first to raise her hand towards him, looking steadily into his eyes to signal him to stop. Seeing that he still did not give in, she raised the index finger of her left hand towards him, keeping her face turned in the opposite direction.
This mischievous gesture was met with uproarious laughter, while Cate Blanchett herself displayed a smile from ear to ear, evidently energized by the reactions of the crowd around her. It did not go unnoticed on social media. “It was the smoothest and most elegant middle finger I’ve seen in a while,” wrote one user. “You don’t mess with someone like Cate,” commented another. “A queen setting her boundaries,” a final user concluded.
Whether it was a joke or genuine frustration, Cate Blanchett seemed genuinely annoyed by the pressure from this photographer. In an interview given to Radio Times just a year ago, in April 2025, the actress explained that she was not comfortable with the idea of being photographed or making headlines. “When you appear on a debate show, or even here now, and you see excerpts of things you said, taken out and italicized, it really resonates. I am not that person,” she said. “I have more sense in motion – it’s been a long time since I felt comfortable being photographed.” While she did not leave with the Best Actress award, Cate Blanchett did, however, win the Best Reaction award.
