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 in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull—and that's just in the last year. 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.