Cate Blanchett Hashtags Julia Roberts and Inquiring Minds Want to Know Why

Cate Blanchett was the frontrunner to snag the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine, and as expected she did win the Oscar in a field that included Amy Adams (American Hustle), Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Judi Dench (Philomena), and Academy fave Meryl Streep (August: Osage County). And while winning was expected, Blanchett’s Oscar acceptance speech led to a lot of questions including why she said “Julia, #suckit” followed by “You know what I mean.”

Backstage in the press room, Blanchett was asked about that specific statement in an otherwise eloquent speech. And apparently, what happens between Blanchett and Roberts, stays between Blanchett and Roberts (although it likely didn’t occur in Vegas). Blanchett offered only a tiny clue to the origin of the hashtag statement in response to the question. “It happened in the bar with Ms. Roberts, and that’s all I am prepared to say,” said Blanchett.

Blanchett also spoke about the pressures of being an Oscar frontrunner. “What kind of pressure? An intense, unbearable pressure which I’m so glad is over,” explained Blanchett. “I mean, look, it has been every year. And having been in theatre primarily for the last six years, I can say this objectively. Every year I watch this thing remotely, and every year there are 5, 6, 10, 12, 20 performances by women that I am gobsmacked by and inspired by. And you know, it gets whittled down to five ‑‑ is it five of us? And I mean, to be in conversation with those women, you know, by proxy, because we are all crammed together into one category, I mean, that’s the privilege. And the rest is just chocolate.”