Kate Winslet Remembers Being Body Shamed After ‘Titanic’ Success

When James Cameron’s Titanic hit theaters in 1997, it became a global hit, becoming the first film to bring over one billion dollars to the worldwide box office. It played a significant role in catapulting Kate Winslet and Leonardo Dicaprio into international stardom. Winslet had earned praise for earlier performances in Heavenly Creatures and Sense and Sensibility, earning an Academy Award nomination for the latter, but Titanic made her a household name. It also secured her second Oscar nod. Despite her iconic performance as Rose DeWitt Bukater in the drama, Winslet faced media scrutiny surrounding her body.

During a recent interview on 60 Minutes discussing her latest feature, Lee, Winslet recalled being body-shamed by members of the press at the height of the film’s success. During her conversation with journalist Cecilia Vega, Winslet shared how a drama teacher once told her to “settle for the fat girl parts” and was shown a clip where a red carpet announcer stated she looked like she was “melted and poured” into her gown, and that she needed two sizes larger.

“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?”

Winslet was asked if she ever got a “face-to-face” with those who critiqued her body, and the actress became emotional, sharing:

“I let them have it. 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.”

Kate Winslet Speaks on Hollywood’s Pressure

Winslet certainly had the last word. She’s enjoyed a decades-long lauded career in Hollywood, with acclaimed portrayals in films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Sense and Sensibility, The Reader, Revolutionary Road, and Little Children, and series including Mildred Pierce and Mare of Easttown. Her accolades include an Academy Award (for The Reader), five BAFTA Awards, two Emmys, and five Golden Globe Awards.

60 Minutes isn’t the first time that Winslet, who was 22 when Titanic premiered, recalled the toll that the focus on her body took on her. While doing press for Titanic‘s 25th anniversary late last year, she recalled the commentary surrounding her weight.

“Apparently, I was too fat—isn’t it awful? Why were they so mean to me? I wasn’t even f—ing fat.” She continued: “If I could turn back the clock, I would have used my voice in a completely different way. I would have said to journalists… ‘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 and actually borderline abusive, I would say.”

Speaking of her present experiences in Hollywood, Winslet told Vega that she was done with not showing her authentic self on film, as it’s “exhausting.” Winslet’s most recent film, Lee, about model turned World War II correspondent Elizabeth Lee Miller, landed in theaters in September. Titanic is streaming on Paramount+.