Cate Blanchett just made a BIG admission about her love life

Actress Cate Blanchett has never been one to court the spotlight, so we were shocked when she revealed some pretty private information about herself in a recent interview.

Cate's latest film, Carol, sees her take on the role of a woman who starts a secret relationship with a female department store assistant, played by Rooney Mara.

The movie, which is set in the 1950s, is a new venture for the actress, but it seems she is more than able to identify with her character.

When asked by Variety magazine if she had ever been in a relationship with a woman, the actress' response was a coy "On film – or in real life?" Later in the interview, Cate revealed that she had indeed been with other women "many times."

The Cinderella star, who has been married to playwright Andrew Upton for 18 years, says the same-sex encounters are not something she has ever cared to label. "I never thought about it,” she said of the admission.

Cate has often spoken out about the media's unfair portrayal of women as sex symbols, something which may have been a factor in her decision to keep her past private.

At last year's Screen Actors' Guild Awards, she stopped an E! cameraman as he took a sweeping shot of her outfit from head to toe, asking him, "Do you do that to the guys?"

Speaking about the incident and the inane questions posed to women on the red carpet, the mum-of-four said, "The way women are asked about those red carpet moments. Oh my God. It’s just a dress!"

Well said, Cate.