Actress Cate Blanchett is catching heat for referring to herself as “middle class” while speaking about the refugee crisis at a United Nations press conference in Cannes this week.
The 55-year-old celebrity, who has an estimated net worth of $95 million, spoke about her time as a goodwill ambassador and stressed how she’s been trying to promote refugee filmmakers.
“I’m white, I’m privileged, I’m middle class, and I think, you know, one can be accused of having a bit of a white savior complex, but to be perfectly honest, my interaction with the refugees in the field and also in resettled environments has totally changed my perspective on the world,” Blanchett said, per Marie Claire.
She continued, “And also in resettled environments, has totally changed my perspective on the world. And I’m utterly grateful for that. And I think if you do have a platform, I want to be in dialogue with these people. I’ve met some extraordinary people with extraordinary creative talents and amazing perspectives.”
According to the Pew Research Center, the median income of households classified as middle-class in 2020 was $90,131.
In Cannes, Cate Blanchett reflects on her experience as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, and the importance of giving filmmakers who are refugees a platform to tell their stories. pic.twitter.com/GgcaBLMT9e
— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) May 21, 2024
The Academy Award-winner went on to detail some of her criticisms about the movie business.
“When I look back at films that were made during the Second World War, even if the films didn’t — the narratives didn’t — directly deal with it, it was understood that a global crisis was going on,” Blanchett said of how films dealt with major global events in the past.
“It was just a texture behind the films that were being made. And given that this is a global challenge, a global crisis, I’m always bewildered as to why more films don’t speak directly or obliquely to this,” she continued, referring to the refugee crisis.
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X users responded to Blanchett’s statements with mockery and derision.
“She is disconnected from reality,” one person wrote.
“Cate Blanchett is ‘middle class’…and I am a giraffe,” another X user joked.
The actress is best known for starring in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok.” She has been nominated for 8 Oscars, winning Best Supporting Actress for “The Aviator” (2004) and a Best Actress award for “Blue Jasmine” (2013).
