Kate Winslet Says Titanic's Enormous Success Took a Toll on Her Life
The actress suddenly had to deal with worldwide fame.
Summary
- Titanic remains one of the most influential movies of all time.
- Kate Winslet struggled to accept the fame that followed the film's release.
- The actress has come to view Titanic as a big part of her life.
Over the past several decades, there have been just a few movies that can be called culturally significant. Titanic, for example, left an indelible mark on pop culture with its portrayal of eternal love. In addition, James Cameron's film proved to be a game-changer for the industry, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time with an initial $1.843 billion revenue.
On the human side of the story, Titanic also had a huge impact on the lives of its stars, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, who were twenty-two and twenty-one respectively at the time. The young actors had had a number of roles before Titanic, but it was Cameron's film that made them world famous overnight. And while DiCaprio went on to become one of the most revered contemporary actors in Hollywood, Winslet admittedly struggled with her newfound fame.
The Weight of Expectations
According to the actress, she was too perceptive and malleable when Titanic premiered, and the surge of attention she experienced made her feel really insecure.
'[Young women now] know how to use their voice. 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,' Kate Winslet shared in a recent interview.
Interestingly, the success of Titanic and the media frenzy that followed prompted the actress to step away from the spotlight for a while and pursue more niche, small-scale projects.
'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 [effing] life I did! Because, guess what, being famous was horrible." I was grateful, of course. I was in my early twenties, and I was able to get a flat. But I didn't want to be followed literally feeding the ducks,' Winslet said.
Grappling with Fame
It's been many years since Titanic was released, and Kate Winslet has had many more roles and a fascinating life. Most importantly, the actress has come to terms with her celebrity status, accepting Titanic as a big part of not only her life, but of world culture.
'It's not a burden, any of it. [Titanic] continues to bring people huge amounts of joy. The only time I am like, "Oh god, hide," is if we are on a boat somewhere,' Winslet said.
Currently, Kate Winslet is starring in an upcoming HBO miniseries, The Regime, in which she plays an autocratic leader of a fictional European state. The political satire is set to premiere on March 3.
Source: Net-A-Porter.