Cate Blanchett says the 'shelf life' for actresses was 'about 5 years' when she started out in Hollywood. She explains why she thinks it's different for women now.

• Cate Blanchett reflected on sexism and ageism toward women in Hollywood.
• She said the "shelf life" for actresses was "about five years" when she started out.
• Blanchett defied those odds, and 30 years later, she's leading the sexy new thriller "Black Bag."

Cate Blanchett has had a thriving career for decades. However, career longevity for women in Hollywood wasn't as common in the 90s.

"The shelf life of actresses when I first came on the scene was about five years," Blanchett told Business Insider in an interview for her new film "Black Bag."

Blanchett, now 55, has had a remarkably consistent career since her breakthrough role in 1998's "Elizabeth," where she played a young Elizabeth I. She's also seen Hollywood evolve from a place where casual sexism and ageism toward women were commonplace.

Thankfully, that's changing, in large part due to the #MeToo movement and the increase in women working behind the scenes.

"I think that female producers have more agency," Blanchett said. "There's more females in the writing room, and the more diverse the industry is at base level, when things are developed, the more exciting it is for audiences."

Of course, Hollywood still has its issues — but as Blanchett sees it, all industries do. "I think there's ageism and sexism in every industry. I just think that we're a very public-facing industry," she said.

Blanchett leads 'Black Bag,' a tight thriller with an all-star cast

Not only has Blanchett stayed in demand for years, but she's arguably busier than ever.

In "Black Bag," the latest from legendary director Steven Soderbergh, Blanchett plays Kathryn St. Jean, a talented spy and the beloved wife of George Woodhouse, a brilliant intelligence agent played by Michael Fassbender. Woodhouse receives information suggesting that St. Jean may have betrayed the country, leading him down a rabbit hole of corruption.

The highly charged sexual relationship between the couple is key to their dynamic.

"There was a very strong sexual bond between George and Kathryn, and it was important for that to sing," she told BI.

Kathryn's sleek look is similarly integral to her character. Blanchett said she had to prise direction out of Soderbergh ("He's quite sort of enigmatic and removed"), but the one thing she was able to get out of him regarding who her character should be was "Big hair." Hence, Blanchett rocks a long, dark wig to transform into the character.

Blanchett said Soderbergh valued the characters' looks since he wanted "Black Bag" to feel "stylish and appealing and alluring."

"The thing that Steven said that really stayed with me throughout the shoot is that we're making a movie. We're not making a film," Blanchett recalled.

"Black Bag" is in theaters now.