Who is Cate Blanchett? Actress' surprise cameo appearance in Netflix's Squid Game 3 leaves the internet stunned

The third and final season of Squid Game was released on June 27, 2025. It featured a brief but striking cameo by Cate Blanchett. For those unaware, Cate Blanchett is an acclaimed Australian actress. She is famous for her award-winning roles in Blue Jasmine, Elizabeth, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Her surprising appearance arrived just before the credits. It teased the potential for the deadly game to extend to the US. In the scene, Cate Blanchett is in a suit and is standing in a dark alley in downtown Los Angeles. She is seen playing ddakji, the familiar Korean game, with a man who seems to be down on his luck. As the man loses the game, Blanchett slaps him.

This scene is reminiscent of the intro in season 1, where a recruiter, originally played by Gong Yoo, introduced Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) to the Squid Game.

The camera shows the Front Man, In-ho, watching Cate Blanchett from a parked car. After briefly exchanging glances, he rolls up the window and leaves. The man again asks Blanchett to play another round, and she agrees. The moment suggests the Squid Game may continue globally, possibly beginning in the US.

The closing scene sparked a wave of online reactions, with many viewers expressing surprise at Cate Blanchett’s sudden appearance. An X user wrote,

"THIS WAS NOT IN MY 2025 BINGO CARD."

Many praised the casting choice to introduce such a prominent figure into the franchise’s final moments. Others speculated about a possible spin-off and expressed their surprise at the cameo.

"Cate is truly in her side quest era and I'm here for it," a fan commented.

"She'll be the face of Squid Game: America," another one said.

"MY JAWS DROPPED??? MOTHER?? IN MY GAME OF SQUIDS?," an X user mentioned.

"Excuse me??? No one can convince me that there's nothing going to be a spin off. They could use anybody for this scene but it's CATE BLANCHETT??," an X user wrote.

While the cameo lasted only a few seconds, it generated widespread discussion, and fans praised the actress's presence, even if it was for a few seconds.

"if she'll be the one to recruit me, i'll just come willingly," an X user wrote.

"Cate Blanchett in squid game s3 aaahh!! She's so hot and she's in a suit!" an X user remarked.

"Galadriel in her bad gurl era.," another one said.

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More about the Squid Game universe and Cate Blanchett’s acclaimed career

Initially premiered in 2021, Squid Game has received acclaim for its compelling survival-oriented narrative. The program focuses on contestants lured into playing a series of life-and-death-based games in exchange for a monetary prize of an astronomical sum of money. Season 3 continued the survival narrative with Gi-hun's return to the series to eventually sacrifice his life.

Cate Blanchett was born in Melbourne, Australia, and has won two Academy Awards. She won the Best Supporting Actress for The Aviator (2004) and Best Actress for Blue Jasmine (2013).

Her distinguished performances include films like Elizabeth, Carol, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Thor: Ragnarok, TÁR, and as the elven queen Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Squid Game itself has made a historical impact on streaming entertainment. Season 1 received 14 Emmy nominations and won six Emmy Awards. It made history by being the first-ever non-English language series to have these nominations and wins. Season 1 also ranks as Netflix’s most popular show ever.

Season 2 made a record for getting the most views for a show in its premiere week, and entered the Most Popular Non-English TV list in just three days. It was nominated for Best Drama Series at the 82nd Annual Golden Globes.

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As of now, Netflix has not officially announced any plans for a spin-off. Squid Game Seasons 1–3 are currently available for streaming on Netflix.