Oscar winner Cate Blanchett to star in TV series

Two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett has become the latest Hollywood celebrity to switch to TV, signing on to star in the new FX limited series Mrs America.

Created and written by Mad Men co-producer Dahvi Waller, the nine-episode series will feature Blanchett as conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, who led the fight against the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).

The ERA is a proposed amendment to the US Constitution stating that equal rights may not be denied on the basis of one’s sex.

The amendment was passed by the US Congress in 1972 but failed to win the backing of enough states.

Mrs America, which will begin production next year, will mark Blanchett’s first role in a US television program.

“I feel privileged to have this opportunity to collaborate with Dahvi, Stacey [Sher] and Coco [Francini] under the robust and fearless FX umbrella,” Blanchett said in a statement.

“I am extremely excited about delving into the material as there couldn’t be a more appropriate time to peel back the layers of this recent period of history, which couldn’t be more relevant today.”

Blanchett joins other Hollywood A-listers who have made the jump to the small screen in recent years, including Meryl Streep, Tom Hardy and Julia Roberts.