Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I

Not many actors can claim they were nominated for an Oscar on two separate occasions for playing the same character. Cate Blanchett is one of them. The Australian earned recognition for portraying Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth (1998), the film that cemented her status as a force to be reckoned with, and again in the film's sequel Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007). Her startling turn as the Virgin Queen is both commanding and compelling, and aside from her strength, Cate gives the monarch a sexy, playful and youthful depth that she hadn't been afforded by previous interpretations.