The mother-of-three criticised the level of judgement reserved for a woman’s parenting style, saying that men are never asked if they can “have it all”.
The double Oscar winner told reporters at a press conference for her new animated film, How to Train Your Dragon 2, she was “surprised” to find motherhood, ageing and appearance were still the dominate lines of questioning directed toward female actresses.
Blanchett seems to have become acutely aware of what she calls “a raft of judgement” that is placed on mothers – even those playing mothers on film – after deviating from the idealised maternal stereotype in her new film where she plays a mother who is reunited with her heroic son after abandoning him in his early years.
“When anyone plays a mother on film, there is a whole raft of judgment in that a mother is a particular archetype or that every mother is the same,” she said.
“That’s complete rubbish. We did discuss a lot about that particular issue because of course there is a judgment on how women parent.
“The film actually deals with it really beautifully and deeply and emotionally.”
A frustrated Blanchett also added: “It’s a certainly a question that’s never asked of men. The question is only ever directed towards of women.
“How do you balance? How do you have it all?”
While speaking to a room filled with media facing the press Blanchett claimed the there was still an overwhelming disparity between what is expected of men and women in the workplace.
The DreamWorks film sees Blanchett portray a mother who is reunited with her heroic son after abandoning him in his early years.
“We live in a world where there is still not equal pay for equal work,” she said.
“I still don’t understand in 2014 why that is the case. I’m not just talking about the industry in which we work, it’s every industry.
“The things that are being said about women, not just in African countries but in the English-speaking world, I think are absolute appalling and sometimes I think we’re back in the Middle Ages.
“I’m an actress at a film festival. I can cope with the questions, I’m a big girl.
“But it does surprise me that we’re still asking those questions.”
Cate Blanchett, America Ferrera and Djimon Hounsou attend the ‘How To Train Your Dragon 2’ premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 16.
The 45-year-old actress described herself as a feminist while promoting the film Blue Jasmine in back in September.
“I’m reading a book by [Australian feminist writer] Anne Summers called The Misogyny Factor, and I feel that all of the steps forward that we’ve made… a lot of those have been rescinded,” Cate told Sky News.
And she’s not afraid to speak her mind. At this year’s Screen Actors Guild award red carpet Blanchett hit out at the media pool’s casual sexism during an E! interview.
As the cameraman panned up and down to capture her head-to-toe appearance the star crouched down and asked him, “Do you do that to the guys?”
While the E! interview is famed for “The Glam Cam,” Blanchett makes a very good point as her male counterparts, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, avoided the close-up and were instead addressed foremost for their talents and achievements on the red carpet.
