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Oscars: The actresses18/02/2008
Julie Christie is going head-to-head with Bafta winner Marion Cotillard and newcomer Ellen Page for the prestigious best actress Oscar. Here we size up the competition.
:: Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age)
Real Name: Catherine Elise Blanchett
Birth Date: May 14, 1969
Image: Sophisticated Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning Aussie actress
Best Known For: Her regal roles as Elizabeth I in the 1998 movie Elizabeth and Elf Queen Galadriel in Pete Jackson's The Lord Of The Rings trilogy
Early Life: Cate's drama teacher urged housemate and actor Geoffrey Rush, to come see this "astonishing young woman". From there, her career has snowballed.
Career High: Winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2005 for playing Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator.
Don't Mention: Cate received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance in Elizabeth but lost out to Gwyneth Paltrow.
Words Of Wisdom: "If you know you are going to fail, then fail gloriously."
:: Julie Christie (Away From Her)
Real Name: Julie Frances Christie
Birth Date: April 14, 1941
Image: Iconic blonde British actress
Best Known For: Becoming an overnight star after playing Lara Antipova in Sixties classic Dr Zhivago
Early Life: Julie's big break came in 1961 in BBC science fiction series A For Andromeda.
Career High: Winning an Oscar for best actress for her role as an amoral model in 1965's Darling
Don't Mention: Roller-skating. Julie apparently had to drop out of the leading role in Agatha because she broke her wrist whilst roller-skating.
Words Of Wisdom: "Most people have forgotten who I am anyway. My life is not interrupted because I am more or less anonymous."
:: Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose)
Real Name: Marion Cotillard
Birth Date: September 30, 1975
Image: Classically chic French actress
Best Known For: Her award-winning performance as Edith Piaf in the critically-acclaimed La Vie En Rose
Early Life: Marion was born in Paris to an actress mother and actor/director father.
She moved into TV roles in the early 90s and landed her first major movie role when she was cast in Luc Besson's cult hit Taxi in 1998. Marion also played Lili Bertineau in two sequels.
Career High: Winning the Bafta for her portrayal of Edith Piaf
Don't Mention: Global warming. Marion is apparently interested in environmental activism and has been a Greenpeace spokeswoman.
Words Of Wisdom: [On the role]: "You have to find the place where you abandon everything of yourself. Then you can let something else happen."
:: Laura Linney (The Savages)
Real Name: Laura Leggett Linney
Birth Date: February 5, 1964
Image: Wholesome US actress
Best Known For: Playing browbeaten designer Sarah in Love Actually in 2003
Early Life: Laura was born and raised in New York, the daughter of the playwright Romulus Linney.
After studying acting at Brown University, Juilliard and the Arts Theatre School in Moscow, she began her career treading the boards on Broadway.
A few small film roles followed in the 1990s, but Laura's big break came when she played Richard Gere's ex-girlfriend in Primal Fear in 1996.
Career High: Bagging her third Oscar nomination
Don't Mention: Laura had to gain a stone and a half for her role in Kinsey - which she apparently managed by eating lots of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
Words Of Wisdom: "I don't consider myself a celebrity and I don't consider myself a star."
:: Ellen Page (Juno)
Real Name: Ellen Philpotts-Page
Birth Date: February 21, 1987
Image: Up and coming Canadian actress who favours offbeat roles
Best Known For: Starring as a pregnant teen in the movie Juno.
Early Life: Born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Ellen attended Halifax Grammar School and Shambhala School.
Her first major role was when she was 10, in a TV movie called Pit Pony, but her big break came in 2005, when she was cast in the movie Hard Candy.
Career High: Being nominated for an Oscar for her role
Don't Mention: Hair. Ellen apparently had to shave off all her hair for 2005 film Mouth To Mouth.
Words Of Wisdom: "I don't really want to do the Hollywood thing. I think you ought to try to say something with your movies."
© 2008 The Press Association Limited
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