Cate Blanchett suffers a head injury in a ‘chainsaw accident’

Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett suffers a head injury in a ‘chainsaw accident’ at her home in England

Australian actress Cate Blanchett has suffered a ‘chainsaw accident’ while self-isolating at home in East Sussex, England.

The two-time Oscar-winner, 51, took a ‘nick’ out of her head while using the mechanical saw but fortunately avoided a serious injury.

She casually revealed her brush with death while speaking to former Prime Minister Julia Gillard in a podcast interview last week.

Brush with death: Australian actress Cate Blanchett has suffered a ‘chainsaw accident’ while self-isolating at home in East Sussex, England. Pictured on January 5 in Beverly Hills, California

Cate mentioned the incident in passing, telling Gillard the accident sounded a lot more ‘exciting’ than it was.

She said: ‘I’m fine. I had a bit of a chainsaw accident yesterday, which sounds very, very exciting, but it wasn’t. Apart from the little nick to the head, I’m fine.’

Gillard replied: ‘Be very careful with that chainsaw. You’ve got a very famous head, I don’t think people would like to see any nicks taken out of it.’

Near miss: The two-time Oscar-winner took a 'nick' out of her head while using the mechanical saw but fortunately avoided a serious injury. Pictured: Cate wearing blood makeup on set

Near miss: The two-time Oscar-winner took a ‘nick’ out of her head while using the mechanical saw but fortunately avoided a serious injury. Pictured: Cate wearing blood makeup on set

Cate, who was born and raised in Melbourne, lives in a $6.25million manor called Highwell House near Crowborough, about an hour south of London.

She is married to playwright and director Andrew Upton, with whom she shares four children, Dashiell 18, Roman, 16, Ignatius, 12 and Edith, five.

The family previously lived in Hunters Hill, Sydney, before relocating to the UK.

Historic manor: Cate, who was born and raised in Melbourne, lives in a $6.25million manor called Highwell House (pictured) near Crowborough, about an hour south of London

Historic manor: Cate, who was born and raised in Melbourne, lives in a $6.25million manor called Highwell House (pictured) near Crowborough, about an hour south of London

Potentially deadly mishaps aside, Cate revealed on A Podcast of One’s Own that life in coronavirus lockdown had been mostly eventful.

She said she had taken a year off work to help her eldest son, Dashiell, through his A-levels, the British equivalent of HSC exams.

‘I took the year off ostensibly to be with him and support him through exam period,’ Cate said.

Family life:She is married to playwright and director Andrew Upton (pictured), with whom she shares four children, Dashiell, Roman, Ignatius, and Edith. Pictured in London in October 2019

Family life:She is married to playwright and director Andrew Upton (pictured), with whom she shares four children, Dashiell, Roman, Ignatius, and Edith. Pictured in London in October 2019

‘And then all of this exam stuff evaporated [because of school closures] and I’m left with an 18-year-old who doesn’t really want to have anything to do with me!

‘So it’s a little bit discombobulating but, it’s a high-class problem, we’re all well.’

Cate joked that instead of tutoring a teenager, she found herself ‘being a kindergarten teacher to my five-year-old, which is just as challenging’.

‘I have a huge respect for the teaching profession, I always have,’ she added.