Kate Winslet skyrocketed to international fame after her role in the hit romantic-tragedy Titanic. Her on-screen chemistry with Leonardo DiCaprio received acclaim for depicting a poignant, selfless love amidst stark class differences. However, despite her global recognition, Kate has revealed that she faced significant body-shaming following the film’s release, an experience that deeply affected her.
In a recent interview with Variety, Kate reflected on the evolving acceptance of female actors embracing their natural selves, contrasting today’s environment with the late 90s and early 2000s. Praising the self-assured and empowered women at the 2024 Met Gala, the Avatar 3 star remarked, “I was really smiling because every image of women on the red carpet showed them sharing their bodies on their own terms. They can now do this safely, knowing the media won’t criticize them. It’s a complete shift from how it was in 1998 through to the early 2000s.” Reflecting on her own experiences with media scrutiny during the rise of the internet, she added, “This s**t went on for years.”
Kate began her film career with Heavenly Creatures and went on to star in Sense and Sensibility, Jude, and Hamlet. Her breakthrough came with James Cameron’s Titanic, and she later won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2009 for her role in Stephen Daldry’s The Reader, based on David Hare’s book.
Next, Kate will star in a British biographical drama directed by Ellen Kuras, based on the 1985 biography The Lives of Lee Miller by Antony Penrose, where she will play the titular role of American photojournalist Lee Miller. She is also featured in James Cameron’s Avatar 3, currently in post-production.