And the Nominees Are…

In Little Children, Kate plays Sarah, a repressed suburban housewife who feels lost in her own life. Kate says she loved playing Sarah because the character doesn't care about vanity and femininity. "She looks a mess most of the time and I love that," Kate says. "The truth is I think it's much more interesting to throw yourself at a character who isn't vain and doesn't know about hair and makeup. It just kind of makes it that much more interesting," Kate says.

Although it will be her fifth Academy Awards® ceremony, Kate says she is more excited than she's ever been. "I just can't wait to go. The fact that I haven't got a hope in hell of winning is beside the point."

Kate says that one of the reasons this year feels so spectacular is because of the other women who have been nominated—Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Penelope Cruz and Meryl Streep. "These are the women who have inspired me throughout my years as an actress up until this point, and here I am standing alongside them shoulder to shoulder," Kate says. "It really is a dream come true."