Transformation

"You can't please everyone," Cate Blanchett has said, "but hopefully you'll surprise people." The modest Academy Award winner both pleases and surprises in parts that range from Elizabeth I to Bob Dylan to a Soviet super-villain. Her translucent complexion and boldly defined features allow her to try out different looks with ease. "She looks incredible with long hair, short hair, a dark wig," says her hairstylist, Danilo. Makeup artist Jeanine Lobell agrees: "She's a chameleon. It's fun to do her makeup, because you can really play with her." On the red carpet, the three-time mother pairs couture gowns with wash-and-wear hair and—no surprise—looks stunning. "Women like her break rules," Donna Karan has said, "yet we love them for it."

1994: After graduating from Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art and winning the Newcomer Award from the Sydney Theatre Critics Circle, the redheaded Blanchett began doing TV work.