Cate Blanchett has a happy home life, a 'wonderful, wonderful mess' she wouldn't trade for anything in the world. In her latest film, Carol, though, matters of the heart aren't quite as easy as her character struggles with falling for another woman (played by Rooney Mara) in the 1950s. Cate's performance has already garnered best actress nominations at the SAG Awards and the Golden Globes, and 2016 is shaping up to be a big year for the 46-year-old star. Here, the mom of four – whose newly adopted daughter Edith has three big brothers – opens up to Hello! about how she balances work and family life.

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Cate, has the dynamic in your home changed since you added a daughter to the mix?
Yes, we are blessed! It’s a glory, and it’s extraordinary watching her. There is an age gap between my oldest son and Edith so I enjoy watching them become a unit. She has the most extraordinary brothers, and I am enormously proud of them.

How’s the juggling going?
It’s a mess. I don’t know how else to describe it! [Laughs] A wonderful, wonderful mess.

What’s the glue that keeps you and Andrew, your husband of 17 years, together?
We have made each other better people. We’re not competitors, and I think we’ve always helped to enhance each other’s passions and interests. And we also laugh together. We love what we do, but it’s not everything between us.

Given their upbringing, do you see your children working in this industry?
Our children find us deathly dull, which we are, actually! [Laughs] So we just try to do a lot of different things, and yes, we take them to the theatre and exhibitions and to listen to music, and we talk about things at home, but they will ultimately end up doing – I don’t know. They are very young yet.