10 Greatest Portrayals Of Monarchs In Movie History

6. Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth

In 1998, two actresses were nominated by the Academy for playing Queen Elizabeth I: Cate Blanchett for her role in Elizabeth, and Judi Dench for her work in Shakespeare in Love. And there's a reason for that, they're both great performances. Dench captures the power and resolve of her as an older woman, while Blanchett brings to life all the struggles and vulnerability of her earlier years. Elizabeth begins with the young princess in the Tower of London, imprisoned by her sister Queen Mary and fearing for her life. It follows her through those dark times, to her eventual ascension to the throne. But even when she was queen, she faced danger at every turn. Many courtiers plotted against her, believing that as a woman she was too weak to rule England. In time, Elizabeth grows from a clever, charming young woman into a queen who understands that in order to keep her throne, she must possess an iron will and act as if she were made of stone. Blanchett proves so adept at playing of Queen Elizabeth that it's no surprise that, when she was a decade or so older, she reprised the role in Elizabeth: The Golden Age (a film which she was also nominated for).