Kate Winslet became a household name after playing Rose DeWitt Bukater in ‘Titanic;’ but the fame came at a price. The actress shared how public criticism, particularly about her weight, haunted her after the film’s release in a recent chat with CBS News’ Cecilia Vega.
The comments on her size reached the point of harassment in those years, as professional platforms like the 1998 Golden Globes Pre-Awards Show said of her, “Kate looks a little melted and poured into that dress… and you know, she just needed two sizes larger and it would probably have been OK…”
When Vega called out how cruel such comments were, Winslet responded, “I know. It’s absolutely appalling. What kind of a person must they be to do something like that to a young actress who’s just trying to figure it out?”
The actress recalled confronting some of these critics directly. “I let them have it,” she recalled, “I said, ‘I hope this haunts you.’ It was a great moment. It was a great moment because it wasn’t just for me. It was for all those people who were subjected to that level of harassment. It was horrific—it was really bad.”
More recently, Winslet starred in ‘Lee,’ a biographical drama about one of the few female World War II journalists Lee Miller. For the role, she chose to take on a more natural and comfortable appearance to portray the character as truthfully as possible.
Discussing the reactions to her performance, she said, “People say, ‘Oh, you were so brave for this role. You didn’t wear any makeup.’ You know, ‘You had wrinkles.’ Do we say to the men, ‘Oh, you were so brave for this role. You grew a beard?’ No. We don’t… It happens to me all the time. It’s not brave. It’s—It’s playing the part.”
Winslet also addressed moments on set when people tried to correct her posture to hide imperfections. She refused the suggestions, explaining, “I don’t think Lee would have done—It’s about knowing that Lee’s—her ease with her physical self was hard won.” The actress added that she was done looking a certain way for Hollywood, noting, “It’s exhausting.”
In addition to the negative attention and pressure, other factors like her acting in ‘Titanic’ made Kate Winslet dislike her breakthrough role. She delved into these in previous interviews.
