Many fans had hoped for Rosamund Pike to portray the royal elf Galadriel in Peter Jackson’s trilogy. However, the role ultimately went to Cate Blanchett, who had the honor of playing the “Lady” of the woods of Lothlórien across all three films.
Cate Blanchett was reportedly a top choice on the casting wishlist of Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens. Principal photography for the trilogy took place from October 11, 1999, to December 22, 2000. Cate was 30 years old when filming started and celebrated her 31st birthday during production, on May 14, 2000.
Cate Blanchett was 30 years old when filming The Lord of the Rings as the royal elf Galadriel (Credit: New Line Cinema)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring premiered on December 10, 2001, at the Odeon Leicester Square in London. One year later, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers premiered on December 5, 2002, at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City.
The series’ final installment, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, premiered on December 1, 2003, at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington, New Zealand.
Actress Cate Blanchett arrives for the premiere of “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” on December 11, 2002, in London (Credit: Apega / FayesVision / Nicky Nelson / WENN)
Galadriel’s Return in The Hobbit Trilogy
While her character does not even appear in the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, the director and his writing team decided to increase the number of female roles in The Hobbit trilogy (2012–2014). Cate reprised her role as Galadriel and is one of few actors to appear in every LOTR film.
After filming The Lord of the Rings trilogy in the role of Galadriel, Cate Blanchett got to keep her elf ear prosthetics (Credit: New Line Cinema)
Cate Blanchett’s Love for Pointed Ears
In an interview with The Guardian, she revealed that she’d always wanted to appear in a movie wearing pointed ears.
“To be honest, I did it so that I could have the pointed ears. I thought they would really work with my bare head,” she said about her role as elf queen Galadriel. The pointed ears were given to her as a present at the end of the filming.
“Someone got to hear that my husband has a bit of a thing for my ears and presented us with mine,” she told the Daily Telegraph.
“They were all beautifully housed in a wooden box with a little section for each ear. It was kind of like a box of chocolates but with ears!”
Cate Blanchett attends the Royal Film Performance of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at Odeon Leicester Square on December 12, 2012, in London, England (Credit: Apega / FayesVision / Nicky Nelson / WENN)
A Hilarious Side to Cate Blanchett
There are so many wonderful things to say about Cate Blanchett. Not only does the talented actress have an incredible sense of style, but she’s also absolutely hilarious. Take, for example, her Desert Palm Achievement Award win.
In January 2016, Cate arrived at the 2016 Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards, looking flawless.
Cate Blanchett wears her blonde hair down at the 27th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival in California on January 2, 2016 (Credit: Apega / FayesVision / Nicky Nelson / WENN)
Stealing the Show in Marc Jacobs and Ferragamo
Cate’s ensemble of choice was a beautiful dove gray embellished dress from Marc Jacobs’ 2016 collection. The actress accessorized with jewelry from Tiffany & Co.
Cate Blanchett wears a Marc Jacobs dress on the red carpet (Credit: Apega / FayesVision / Nicky Nelson / WENN)
The then-46-year-old also debuted a nude pair of mesh pumps from the exclusive Salvatore Ferragamo x Edgardo Osorio capsule collection.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the company’s collaboration with Hollywood, Salvatore Ferragamo asked Colombian designer Edgardo Osorio, the founder and creative director of high-end shoe label Aquazzura, to design a footwear capsule collection (Credit: Ferragamo’s Instagram)
The mesh pumps were inspired by Marilyn Monroe, who bought the iconic Ferragamo 1940s pump for $45.
Cate Blanchett’s feet in Salvatore Ferragamo x Edgardo Osorio shoes (Credit: WENN)
Back to Cate’s stage antics — the actress hilariously ran in slow motion and pranced as she made her way to the podium to receive her Achievement Award.
Cate Blanchett wears an embellished Marc Jacobs dress on the red carpet (Credit: Apega / FayesVision / Nicky Nelson / WENN)
Dupes for Cate Blanchett’s Coveted Footwear
The Ferragamo x Edgardo Osorio mesh pumps are unavailable online, but we dug up some dupes just for you. You can grab a pair by hopping over to Farfetch or Nordstrom.
Bionda Castana “Lana” Mesh Pumps, $729.97
Nina Originals “Day” d’Orsay Pump, $157.95