Cate Blanchett played Elizabeth II.
Cate Blanchett . Blanchett came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in Shekhar Kapur 's 1998 film Elizabeth , for which she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress , the Golden Globe Award , and earned her first Academy Award for Best Actress nomination . Blanchett is one of only six actors , and the only actress , to receive Academy Award nominations for portraying the same role in two films , accomplished in her case by portraying Queen Elizabeth I .