Actress Cate Blanchett hints film acting may take back seat to theater role

Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett hinted Friday her acting career may take a back seat to her new role as the artistic director of a leading Sydney theater company.

Photo: Actress Cate Blanchett hints film acting may take back seat to theater role

Blanchett and her playwright husband, Andrew Upton, have agreed to become co-artistic directors of the Sydney Theater Company starting in January 2008.

"The acceptance for the role of co-artistic director of this company is not a dalliance," Blanchett told reporters in Sydney on Friday, after officially accepting the role.

"It's an absolutely firm commitment and it is not one that Andrew nor myself have made lightly."

The Australian-born actress said the role of artistic director would become her new full time job, although she and Upton would be free for three months out of each year to pursue their own projects, reports AP.

"Sometimes I may take that up and sometimes I may not," Blanchett said. She did not elaborate.

The actress who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in 2004's "The Aviator" repeatedly sold out performances in the Sydney Theater Company's production of Henrik Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler" the same year.