Despite the enormous success Titanic has received since its release in 1997 — having won a total of 11 Oscars, as well as becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time — Rose DeWitt Bukater actress Kate Winslet revealed that the James Cameron-directed feature’s overnight success was a “horrible” experience and made her life “unpleasant” after.
While the film has undeniably catapulted Winslet and co-star Leonardo DiCaprio’s (who played Jack Dawson in the movie) careers to greater heights, the actress shared in an interview with Net-a-Porter that she had been taking smaller roles after the movie’s success.
Winslet starred in Titanic when she was only 22 years old. Recalling the aftermath of Titanic’s successful theatrical run while also commending the young generation of female actors, Winslet revealed: “[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.”
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—ing 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.”
On what she currently feels about fame, the actress added, “Oh, it’s such a ridiculous word! I wear it really lightly. 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.”
Kate Winslet’s succeeding projects after Titanic
Winslet has been an actress since Titanic’s release to theaters, but she absolutely achieved greater recognition after she was picked to play the role of Rose in the record-breaking romantic disaster film. However, with such success come huge expectations. Nonetheless, Winslet has proven to be an artist in her own right and has starred in a number of acclaimed movies, including Quills, Iris, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Revolutionary Road, Little Children, and Steve Jobs, to mention a few.
The actress also starred in various television shows, such as Mildred Pierce, Moominvalley, and Mare of Easttown. She will also make her small screen return, with the release of political satire The Regime on March 3.
