Kate Winslet
This is how she found her self-confidence – despite criticism and doubts
Kate Winslet is beaming with confidence.
© L’Oréal Paris
Hollywood stars also sometimes plague self-doubt. Kate Winslet is no exception.
Whether in the new series “Mare of Easttown”, in the unusual love film “Forget Mine Not” or even in the blockbuster “Titanic”: The characters that Kate Winslet (45) brings to the screen are many, but never one-dimensional. Her name is associated with talent, character and strength. But it wasn’t always easy for her either.
“Time was a good companion in developing my self-esteem,” says the actress, who has just been announced as the new international brand ambassador for L’Oréal Paris, today. “I no longer try to pursue any physical ideals I might have had in my twenties, when I was much more vulnerable and naive.”
She stands by her body
Winslet had experiences of exclusion from an early age. In 2017, at a charity event, she told children how she had been bullied in her childhood. “They teased me because I wanted to act.” That didn’t change when it came to her passion, acting, later: she was told that she could be happy if she got the part of the ‘fat girl’. And again and again she heard: “You are just not what we are looking for Kate.”
That judgment didn’t even stop when she had her phenomenal breakthrough with “Titanic” in 1997 – quite the contrary. In interviews only earlier this year, she stated that the film’s enormous success was anything but pleasant for her as a woman. “It was like day and night, from one day to the next.” Her body had been evaluated and criticized in public, “the British press was pretty unkind to me,” said Winslet about the time she spent “in self-protection mode”.
Today the actress stands by her body, which she shows in her current role in the widely acclaimed TV series “Mare of Easttown”. During the shoot there was a sex scene in which “a little tummy” can be seen, Winslet recalled in the “New York Times”. Director Craig Zobel then offered to cut the scene more flattering. Her answer: “Don’t you dare.”
“My hardest moments shaped me”
As an ambassador for L’Oréal Paris, Winslet now wants to encourage other women to declare war on their self-doubts. “I’ve learned to accept my mistakes and not be so hard on myself. In doing so, I’ve learned that my worst moments have shaped me.”
For Winslet, however, her appearance is also a reflection of her health. However, this has little to do with vanity: “Because then I know that I have fed myself well and have taken good care of myself.” Glowing skin through healthy eating is also one of her tips for gaining self-confidence. She doesn’t wear a lot of make-up in everyday life. “A little concealer to cover redness or dark circles under the eyes”. And she shapes the eyelashes. In particular, the work of a good day, a hug from her husband and the pride of her children in her work give her self-confidence.
Mothers are the real heroines
In general, Winslet draws a lot of self-esteem from her family life. “The pride and joy I feel when I am with my children and see how they develop into wonderful, affectionate and humble beings in the best sense of the word, let me see where my true worth lies.” Her greatest role models are mothers: “Especially those mothers who raise their families even though they receive little support. For me, these women are the real heroines.”
The feminist movements of recent years have also stimulated a new thought process at Winslet. She now also wants to talk about living a life without judging other women. “The world is changing in such a way that it will hopefully be easier for women to show solidarity and not only share their stories and experiences with one another, but also courageously stand up for themselves and one another.”