Australians will get the chance to lick four of the nation’s most popular entertainers who have been selected to appear on a special series of postage stamps to mark Australia Day. Academy Award winners Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe and Geoffrey Rush have been named Australia Post “Australian Legends” in the lead-up to January 26. “These four outstanding Australians have captured the imagination of millions of people in Australia and around the world with their award-winning performances,” Australia Post managing director Graeme John said in a statement. There are eight 55 cent stamps in the series, featuring photos of the stars in and out of character, including Kidman from Moulin Rouge, Blanchett from Elizabeth, Crowe from Gladiator and Rush from Shine. “I am utterly, deeply humbled and chuffed by the fact that I’m a stamp,” Blanchett said in a statement. “I’m going to be licked by millions of Australians and I can’t wait. It is also recognising the value of the arts in Australia. It brings it into general consumption and if I’m part of that, I feel intensely proud.” Kidman was similarly pleased with her selection. “I have a vested interest in Australia,” Kidman said. “I want my children to live here at certain times of their life and see how wonderful it is. It would be lovely for them to lick a stamp, put it on an envelope and say ‘that’s my mum’.” Each of the stars will be presented with 24-carat gold replicas of their stamps.

In the US, you have to be dead (like Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, etc.) or not living (like Mickey Mouse, Superman, etc.) to have your likeness printed on postage stamps but I think it’s very cool that other countries choose to honor people while they are still alive … and can appreciate the tribute. As the article mentioned, there are 8 total stamps to honor these Australian legends — after the jump, check out the other 4 stamps that feature these actors in some of their most famous movie roles …

Altho Nicole Kidman won her Academy Award for The Hours, the Australian Post decided to use her role in Moulin Rouge for this stamp. Russell Crowe did win his Academy Award for Gladiator as did Geoffrey Rush for his work in Shine. Cate Blanchett won her Academy Award for The Aviator but is featured here in her role as Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Congrats and kudos so these Aussie legends on this unique accomplishment. Lick away, Aussies! These folks deserve it!

[Source]

Cate Blanchett says her marriage of 11 years could be over if she goes under the knife. The actress — who currently stars in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with Brad Pitt — tells Vanity Fair: “I haven’t done anything, but who knows. Andrew [Upton] said he’d divorce me if I did anything.” But that doesn’t mean she’d never mess with her famous face. “I’m not a spokesperson against the world of injectables,” The 39-year-old actress says. “If you grow up in an environment where your mother gets you a boob job when you turn 18, what hope is there? But I didn’t grow up in that world. The reason I went to train as an actor was that I was interested in it for the long haul,” she adds. “You can become very self-obsessed, but you’ve got to keep looking outward.” Blanchett says her body isn’t the same after the birth of their three sons: Dashiell, 7; Roman, 3 and Ignatius, 7 months. “When you’ve had children, your body changes; there’s history to it. I like the evolution of that history; I’m fortunate to be with somebody who likes the evolution of that history.” “I think it’s important to not eradicate it. I look at someone’s face and I see the work before I see the person….” she adds. Plus, Blanchett says plastic surgery doesn’t stave “off the inventible” aging process. “If you’re doing it out of fear, that fear’s still going to be seen through your eyes,” she says. “The windows to your soul, they say.” Upton, a playwright, doesn’t mind his wife’s looks, Blanchett says, although he doesn’t focus on them. “I’m not a trophy. He likes the vessel, but he also wants to make sure the vessel is full.” Blanchett says she wouldn’t rule out having more children either. “Who knows? Don’t close those doors. The world is very overpopulated, but we do make nice ones,” she says. “They all look like Andrew. To say he has dominant genes would be an understatement.” In addition to expanding her brood, Blanchett also has a retirement plan. “I think I just want to garden — or kill some plants, in my case,” she says.

Cate Blanchett is one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood these days and, IMHO, prolly the best actress alive right now … I don’t think she needs to change a single thing about the way she lives her life. She seems very happily married, the kids keep on comin’ and she turns in amazing performance after amazing performance in film after film. She will surely live on as one of the great acting icons of our time, I’m utterly convinced. After the jump, check out the collection of stunning photographs that Leibovitz shot for this issue of Vanity Fair, which are simply not to be missed …

These photos are just beautiful. Annie Leibovitz has truly outdone herself with this set … tho, working with Cate Blanchett, I’m sure it wasn’t difficult to get these amazing shots. Again, I cannot stress enough how important I think Cate’s contributions to the world of Film have been since she came on the scene all those years ago. She is an absolute delight to watch in every film I’ve ever seen her in … I sincerely hope she continues to work in film making. Click HERE to read Cate’s VF interview in full at the mag’s official website.

[Source, Source]

Brad Pitt was surrounded by beautiful women at the LA premiere of David Fincher’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” at the Mann Village Theatre in Westwood. Pitt and Angelina Jolie resembled classic old time movie stars. Looking a far cry from their busy mommy/daddy roles, Angie was elegant in a strapless black Versace gown, Ralph Lauren Vintage Collection drop earrings, her hair slicked back. Pitt wore a Tom Ford three-piece tuxedo suit and a moustache. But he also posed for photos with his onscreen love interest, Cate Blanchett, reportedly clad in a short, sparkly Alexander McQueen frock that looked suspiciously like a Nicolas Ghesquiere Balenciaga design, but what do I know. Brad’s parents Bill and Jane Pitt, were also on hand for their son’s big Oscar shot film. So were Jennifer Lopez, Gary Oldman, Eva Longoria-Parker, Sharon Stone and Oscar winning actress Tilda Swinton, wearing a Rodarte gown, who also plays one of Pitt’s lovers early in the film. In this incredibly moving and sweeping romance based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pitt plays a boy who is born old but gets younger. He falls in love with Cate’s character whom he meets when he is very old man and she is very young girl, but they eventually hook up in the middle. It’s an astonishing film (getting major Oscar buzz) that gets you thinking about love, time, aging, youth, impermanence, relationships, faith, communication and all the people who’ve had an impact – big or small – in your life. Most amazing is the makeup and digital aging/youthing FX. Watching Blanchett and Pitt age in different directions is an astonishing feat that doesn’t distract from the magical love story. Blanchett didn’t make it to the flashy post party. But for a darn good reason. She hopped a red eye flight back home to Sydney so she could host the Wednesday “Button” Australian premiere, a big fundraiser for her pet passion, the Sydney Theatre Company.

Brad and Ange looked pretty amazing last night … the old skool Hollywood glam-look really works for them. It’s always a pleasure to see Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton on a red carpet … and Jennifer Lopez was lookin’ like her usual luscious Diva Latina self. Oh and I doubt that the Marley & Me premiere will be as lavish an affair as this premiere was. To be completely honest … I’m not sure I’m all that interested in seeing this film. Having seen the very extensive movie trailer pretty much gives the whole story away. BUT, there are two reasons why I will prolly make my way out to theaters to check it out — the movie is based on a story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and was directed by David Fincher (you may recall that Pitt and Fincher worked together on the stunning film Se7en). Since this is one Fitzgerald story I haven’t read yet, I’m intrigued to see what it may look like on the big screen. Add to that the fact that Fincher is one of my fave movie directors and, well, it looks like Mr. Button will be getting my $15 at the box office (unless I see it at home in Detroit, MI where my out of pocket expenses will be lowered to approx. $10).

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett receive[d] the 2,376th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Friday, 20 days before the release of her latest film, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Steven Spielberg, who directed Blanchett in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”; David Fincher, the director of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and one of its producers, Kathleen Kennedy, [joined] Blanchett in speaking at the late-morning ceremony in front of the Egyptian Theatre. The 39-year-old Blanchett, a native of Melbourne, Australia, won a best supporting actress Oscar for her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in the 2004 Howard Hughes biography, “The Aviator.” She received best actress Academy Award nominations for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in the 1998 film “Elizabeth” and 2007’s “Elizabeth: The Golden Age.” Blanchett also received best supporting actress Oscar nominations her role in the 2006 drama, “Notes on a Scandal,” as a teacher having an affair with a student; and as a version of singer Bob Dylan in 2007’s “I’m Not There.” Blanchett’s other prominent credits include the role of High Elf Queen Galadriel in all three “The Lord of the Rings” films, “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and “Babel.”

I can’t think of a more deserving actress to receive this honor. Cate Blanchett is an incredibly talented actress who shines in every film she appears in. I’m usually very surprised at/grossed out by some of the folks who are chosen to be honored with Walk of Fame stars (*cough* the Olsen Twins *cough*) but this time I am fully on board. Cate is Hollywood’s jewel and she deserves this accolade and more! Much love and congrats!!

[Source]

I mean holy cheekbones, y’all. Cate Blanchett is just the serious hotness. You’d be hard-pressed to find an unattractive photo of Cate, I think. Not only is she an amazing actress (I just re-watched Notes on a Scandal last week and was reminded how amazing she was in that film) but she is also, I think, one of those flawlessly beautiful women that you don’t see very much of in Hollywood. She is deffo one of my faves and I love posting photos of this lovely lady.

[Source via ONTD!]