Kate Winslet – 'English rose' still fragrant after two decades

Acting since the mid-1990s, “Titanic” star Rose is now considered one of the top stars with quality films released every year.

When Heavenly Creatures was released to rave reviews in 1994, one film critic said of its 17-year-old lead actress, Kate Winslet, “She will always be remembered as Juliet and will never be a big star.” Less than three years later, that comment became ridiculous when Winslet played Rose in the timeless romance Titanic, which captivated millions of moviegoers around the world.

Today, Kate Winslet is a superstar of world cinema with seven Oscar nominations and one win.

Kate Winslet.

Career turning point with “Titanic”

Kate Winslet's awards include an Oscar, an Emmy, four Golden Globes, and a Grammy (for narration). In 2005, she set a record as the youngest actress to receive four Oscar nominations at the age of 29 (a mark recently broken by Jennifer Lawrence). In 2008, the star also stood on the Golden Globe podium twice to receive two different awards: "Best Actress" (Drama) for Revolutionary Road and "Best Supporting Actress" for The Reader. Before Winslet, only two other actresses had accomplished this feat at the Golden Globes.

Winslet's seven Oscar nominations come from her roles in Sense and Sensibility (1995), Titanic (1997), Iris (2001), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Little Children (2006), The Reader (2008), and most recently, Steve Jobs (2015). The British actress's acting talent was evident from a young age. She was born on October 5, 1975, and began acting in commercials at the age of 12. From that moment on, directors saw Winslet's potential and called her "a natural talent."

After appearing in several plays on the London stage, Winslet was cast in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures. She recalls her breakthrough: “After reading the script in the car, I turned to my dad and said, 'I have to get this part,' and he supported me. I had never felt such a connection with a character and was so determined to audition. One day, while I was working at a food stall to support myself, the producers called and told me I had the part. That moment made me burst into tears and I couldn't continue working because I was so happy.”

Although Winslet received her first Oscar nomination a year later for Sense and Sensibility, her real breakthrough was Titanic. At the time, director James Cameron was looking for a female lead for the $200 million blockbuster. After beauties like Gwyneth Paltrow and Claire Danes turned down the role of Miss Rose, Winslet saw this as a golden opportunity for her to become famous.

Kate Winslet's charming image as Rose in "Titanic" nearly 20 years ago.

Initially, she tried to “woo” Cameron by sending him letters from England through her agent. Cameron invited Winslet to Hollywood for an audition, and she continued to make the director remember her by giving him a rose with a card “From Rose.” According to Entertainment Weekly, Winslet even called Cameron and said: “I am Rose. I don’t understand why you should try to meet any other actress besides me.” That determination made Cameron decide to give Winslet a chance, even though he was initially skeptical about whether she was the right person.

When it was released, Titanic became the first film in history to surpass the $1 billion mark and won 11 Oscars. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, who played the lovebirds Jack and Rose, became stars and were sought after everywhere they went. At 22, Winslet had a bright future ahead of her in Hollywood. But she decided not to move to the US and instead settled in England: “I am an English girl and I love England. Although I am very ambitious and care about what I do, I am not a winner. In the 'post-Titanic' period, the most important thing I want to keep is not money but the love of cinema - the thing that made me start acting when I was a little girl.”

Britain's top star

Kate Winslet's roles in Finding Neverland, Eternal Sunshine of the Spottless Mind, The Reader or Revolutionary Road... show the class of a top actress. In real life, Winslet is also a modest star and has surprised many people by traveling by subway instead of using limousines. However, two failed marriages have made this beauty limit her acting to spend time taking care of her family. After a few lackluster films and appearing in two parts of the Divergent franchise, Kate Winslet had a memorable role in Steve Jobs.

Winslet's Joanna Hoffman is Apple's marketing director and right-hand woman to Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender). Through three product launches centered on Steve Jobs, viewers see Joanna as both gentle and determined. She acts as the glue that keeps Jobs grounded and points out realities he's too proud to acknowledge.

Joanna’s soft feminine touch makes for an interesting contrast to the cold, pragmatic Steve. Joanna can tolerate Jobs’s somewhat excessive demands at work, but is determined not to let him be cold to his daughter, who craves a father’s love. Although a British actress, Winslet speaks English with a perfect Polish accent in the film. The role of Joanna earned her a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination in the category of “Best Supporting Actress”.

Joanna in "Steve Jobs" is Kate Winslet's latest role.

Coincidentally, her co-star in Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio, has also become a superstar and is on this year's Oscar nomination list. When she auditioned for the role of Rose and first met DiCaprio on set, Winslet was so impressed with him that she told James Cameron: "This guy is amazing. Even if you don't choose me, you have to choose him." Since Titanic, the two have become such close friends that Winslet's three children affectionately call DiCaprio "Uncle Leo".

At the Screen Actors Guild Awards held at the end of January, DiCaprio moved many people when he hugged Winslet after his name was announced. It would be a perfect ending to this year's film awards season for fans of this duo if that touching image is repeated at the upcoming Oscars.

According to VNE