"If you know you are going to fail, then fail gloriously"
About this Quote
The intent is practical, almost professional. Acting is a job where rejection is routine and the “right” choice is often only obvious in hindsight. Blanchett’s phrase reads like rehearsal-room wisdom: take the big swing, because timid choices don’t reduce risk; they just guarantee mediocrity. “Gloriously” reframes failure as evidence of effort, taste, and nerve - a kind of aesthetic standard applied to losing. It’s not motivational-poster optimism; it’s craft talk with a wink.
The subtext is also about control. You may not control outcomes, but you can control the style of your attempt: the clarity of your intention, the boldness of your decisions, the refusal to apologize mid-action. In a moment when personal brands are curated to look effortlessly correct, “fail gloriously” rejects the algorithmic instinct to be inoffensive and reversible. It advocates for the messy, human version of ambition: sincere enough to risk embarrassment, disciplined enough to fail with conviction.
Quote Details
| Topic | Failure |
|---|---|
| Source | Verified source: Cate Blanchett: Queen of the screen (Cate Blanchett, 2007)
Evidence: "If you know you are going to fail, then fail gloriously," is one of her slogans.. This is the earliest primary publication I could verify via web search that prints the quote in connection with Cate Blanchett. It appears in Geoffrey Macnab’s feature article published Thursday 13 September 2007 (The Independent). However, the article attributes it only as 'one of her slogans' and does not identify when/where Blanchett first said it (no interview date, event, or transcript cited). I did not find an earlier interview/speech/film script source that can be reliably verified as the first occurrence, so the true 'first spoken' instance remains unconfirmed. Other candidates (1) Humorous Wit (Djamel Ouis, 2020) compilation95.0% ... If you know you are going to fail, then fail gloriously! Cate Blanchett People expect us to fail. Our mission is ... |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Blanchett, Cate. (2026, February 15). If you know you are going to fail, then fail gloriously. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-you-know-you-are-going-to-fail-then-fail-51789/
Chicago Style
Blanchett, Cate. "If you know you are going to fail, then fail gloriously." FixQuotes. February 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-you-know-you-are-going-to-fail-then-fail-51789/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"If you know you are going to fail, then fail gloriously." FixQuotes, 15 Feb. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-you-know-you-are-going-to-fail-then-fail-51789/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.














