Cate 'used socks' to play Bob Dylan

Cate Blanchett used a sock as a substitute penis to play Bob Dylan in her latest movie.

The Australian actress, who portrays the music legend in new biopic I'm Not There, admits her efforts to create a manly bulge left her husband "repulsed".

She said: "My friend put a sock down my trousers and that kind of helped me walk like a man. "My husband Andrew wouldn't come near me. He was utterly repulsed by it."

The 38-year-old star - who has been married to writer Andrew Upton for 10 years - previously revealed she flattened her bosoms for the role. She said: "I had to strap those breasts down and just go for it!"

Blanchett is one of several actors to portray Dylan at various stages in his life in I'm Not There. She plays the singer during his folk-rock years in the early 60s.

Her dedication to the role has already paid off, after she was named Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month.

She is now hotly tipped to pick up an Oscar nomination for her performance.

The film is set for a worldwide release later this year.

- Z_Bang! Showbiz