Kate Winslet Says Life after Record-Breaking 'Titanic' Fame Was "Horrible" for Her, 'I was Bullied
Kate Winslet described her life after Titanic as "horrible." The 48-year-old actress revealed unpleasant career incidents after the unprecedented success of the 1997 romantic saga. In a new interview with Net-a-Porter, Winslet recalled why she took on roles that were, in a way, "lesser" than Rose.
The newly gained stardom after James Cameron's romantic drama proved nearly fatal for Winslet and her Hollywood career. The 48-year-old actress recounted, "I felt like I had to look a certain way or be a certain thing, and because media intrusion was so significant at that time, my life was quite unpleasant."
She continued, "Journalists would always say, 'After Titanic, you could have done anything, and yet you chose to do these small things.' And I was like, 'Yeah, you bet your f – – kin' life I did! Because, guess what, being famous was horrible.'"
The Mare of Easttown actress reiterated that although she appreciated the success, the unrequired media attention overwhelmed her. "I was grateful, of course," added Winslet. "I was in my early 20s, and I was able to get a flat. But I didn't want to be followed, literally feeding the ducks."
Winslet shared the other side of the story where she was "body-shamed," especially after the ending scene in the film. "Apparently, I was too fat," she said, referencing people's theories about the space on the floating door and if Jack, aka Leonardo DiCaprio, could've also survived the freezing Atlantic waters had the actress been less chubby.
"Why were they so mean to me? They were so mean. I wasn't even fucking fat," she questioned. "I would have said to journalists, I would have responded, I would have said, 'Don't you dare treat me like this. I'm a young woman, my body is changing, I'm figuring it out, I'm deeply insecure, I'm terrified, don't make this any harder than it already is.' That's bullying, you know, and actually borderline abusive, I would say."
However, she acknowledged that young actresses today are more confident in their own skin, "People are subject to scrutiny that is more than a young, vulnerable person can cope with," she said. But in the film industry, it is really changing. When I was younger, my agent would get calls saying, 'How's her weight?' I kid you not. So it's heartwarming that this has started to change."
The 11 Oscar Awards-winning film made DiCaprio and Winslet into international heartthrobs and conquered the film world in the 90s. The film's enduring success also formed everlasting friendships, and once The Holiday actress noted she "immediately clicked" with the Inception actor.
"Once I started working with Leo, we were able to kind of find our own rhythm. And it's amazing to kind of look back and think about it all over again," Winslet told Entertainment Tonight. "And he was just very free with himself, and he had this effervescent energy that was really magnetic. And I remember thinking, 'Oh, this is gonna be fun. We're definitely gonna get along.'"
