Cate Blanchett as Janine in Hot Fuzz (2007)
On the spectrum of cameos, the appearance of Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett in Hot Fuzz is at the very top end of the most brilliantly conceived and executed.
Police Constable Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is having a rough time. In addition to being unwanted by his London colleagues – due to his tendency to be far too good at his job – he is also unwanted by his girlfriend, Janine.
Janine is a crime scene investigator, and he learns of her desire to separate when he visits her at work. In a room filled with people wearing identical white suits, hoods, goggles and masks, Janine calmly explains that she is secretly seeing one of her colleagues, and wishes to end their relationship.
The combination of the visual gag – in which Angel tries to identify his girlfriend’s new beau amid the sea of forensic attire – and the fact that the scene calls for world renowned actress Cate Blanchett to cover everything but her eyes (including her accent) makes this cameo a breathtaking thing of beauty.