‘I wasn’t going to take that sh*t...’: Kate Winslet on why she never shies away from doing nude scenes despite being a victim of body shaming
By Daniel Kim
Kate Winslet has never shied away from a naked scene. Going back to her breakthrough performance in 1997's Titanic, Winslet has regularly revealed her body in films and for magazines cover stories. In an interview with Vogue for their October cover story, the actor stated why she has always loved such types of moments, even when she received public criticism about her body. Meanwhile, Kate Winslet will star in the upcoming film Lee, which recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Titanic actress plays the character of the well-known World War II journalist and photographer Lee Miller.
Kate Winslet opened up about doing nude scenes despite experiencing body shaming
In an interview with Vogue for their October cover story that took place before writers and actors struck, Winslet described herself as "the fat kid in the back with the wrong f**king shoes on. I was always informed that I was the incorrect shape. I was often informed that I would have to settle for less."
When the interviewer asked why she didn’t settle for less, the actress joked, "Because I wasn't going to take that sh*t from anyone. I should know better than to waste precious energy on criticizing my physical self. I think any woman would be better off simply saying, 'I believe in myself.' What other people say doesn't matter; this is who I am; let's get on with it."
AdvertisementThe 47-year-old actress spoke extensively about her upcoming film, Lee, a biopic of war journalist Lee Miller. In addition to producing the film, Winslet played the title character, and she disclosed that she had a major back injury while filming.
The actress revealed she had tripped while sprinting for a scene on the first day of production, and as a result, she claimed, "I had three massive hematomas on my spine, huge. I couldn't even stand up.” She couldn't workout because of the accident, so her physique wasn't as toned as it might have been.
Despite this, she shot a bikini scene as well as a topless one. She said, "You know, you know, I had to be really f**king brave about letting my body be its softest version of itself and not hiding from that. And believe me, our own team would say, 'You might just want to sit up a little bit.' 'Why?' I'd ask. as a result of the visible flesh? No way, that's how it's going to be!”
Winslet further referred to the criticism and comments made about the memorable portrait scene she shared with Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic. She said, "I think it probably stems from having been subjected to the most awful scrutiny and judgment, and, actually, I would go so far as to say bullying, from mainstream media when I was in my 20s."
Despite having faced that criticism in her childhood, Winslet seemed happy that young women in the film business no longer have to deal with some of the things she did.
Kate Winslet spoke about her upcoming film Lee
The Titanic star got candid and spoke about her upcoming film Lee in the same interview with Vogue. The actress will portray the character of Lee Miller, the famous photographer and journalist from World War II. The actress discussed the obstacles of creating Lee, including ensuring that the film centered on the late photographer's attempts to record Europe after WWII rather than her lovers or celebrity image. Winslet also revealed some of the condescending remarks she got from male executives when raising funds for the project.
She said, "I've even had a director tell me, 'Listen, do my film, and I'll get your little 'Lee' funded. Alternatively, we'd have potential male investors asking, 'Tell me, why am I supposed to like this woman?'”
AdvertisementWinslet stated that her previous experience as an actress has also prepared her for the character of Miller. She said, "Lee was a woman who lived her life on her own terms. I wanted to tell the story of a flawed, middle-aged woman who went to war and documented it.
Meanwhile, Kate Winslet’s Lee was recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival over the weekend, but there has been no official release date announced for the movie yet.
Advertisement
