“I was basically redoing our makeup”: Kate Winslet Saved the Most Iconic Titanic Scene With Leonardo DiCaprio That James Cameron Turned Into a Nightmare

Renowned for her versatile roles and commanding presence on screen, Oscar-winner Kate Winslet, recently shared intimate reflections on her transformative journey through the making of Titanic. Speaking with Vanity Fair, the actress opened up about the profound impact the film had on her career and personal life.

Meanwhile, Kate Winslet also shared captivating behind-the-scenes stories from the making of Titanic. Revealing her pivotal role in saving the film’s famous “I’m flying” scene, Winslet noted how she single-handedly dealt with multiple things, while Leonardo DiCaprio kept laughing, and director James Cameron’s sunset chase almost derailed the sequence. 

Kate Winslet Revisited the Iconic “I’m flying” Scene from Titanic 

It’s about to be almost three decades since James Cameron’s timeless classic Titanic hit the silver screen and changed the landscape of cinema. Catapulting young actors, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio to fame, the romantic tragedy captivated audiences of all generations. Even today, the movie remains one of the fan-favorite cult classics birthed by Hollywood. 

Thus, revisiting the movie that shaped her career and paved her way to the Oscars, Kate Winslet shared behind-the-scenes stories with Vanity Fair. Reflecting on her journey and recalling a few of the most iconic scenes, Winslet addressed the story behind the “I’m flying” scene while rewatching the film. Spilling the beans about DiCaprio not being a good kisser, Winslet further defended the actor by blaming the make-up. 

My god, he’s quite the romancer, isn’t he? No wonder every young girl in the world wanted to be kissed by Leonardo DiCaprio. It was not all it’s cracked up to be.

We kept doing this kiss, and I’ve got a lot of pale makeup on and I would have to do our makeup checks — on both of us, between takes — and I would end up looking as though I’d been sucking a caramel chocolate bar after each take because his makeup would come off on me… there was a bit missing from his face. Oh God, it was such a mess.

Discussing how the scene was shot during sunset, which demanded a tan look on both the actors, Kate Winslet noted that the repeated kissing left her dealing with Leonardo DiCaprio’s tan smears. But the hectic experience didn’t stop there, for she also banged her knee on the railing a few times, leaving her to seek multiple takes to get everything just right.

James Cameron and Leonardo DiCaprio Almost Turned the Scene into a Nightmare 

From failed attempts at kissing to banging her knee on the ship railing, Kate Winslet recalled the mess and the hard work that eventually brought the “I’m flying” scene to life. Further, reminiscing about James Cameron’s penchant for perfection that led him in pursuit of the perfect sunset, Winslet noted how it became a daunting obstacle for everyone. 

Further, making matters even worse, and adding insult to James Cameron’s perfection, Kate Winslet revealed how she and Leonardo DiCaprio were basically left inaccessible to the makeup team during the shoot. But surprisingly, Winslet came to the rescue as a superhero in a dress, with chambers hiding the necessary make-up items. 

This was a section of the ship, it wasn’t part of the actual whole ship set that we had. We had to climb up a ladder to get to it. Hair and makeup couldn’t reach us. Now, what you wouldn’t know because Leo looks completely natural but he had to lie on sunbeds and there’s a lot of fake tan makeup going on.

So I’ve got hidden his makeup and brushes and sponge and my makeup and brushes and sponge on the other side. In between takes, I was basically redoing our makeup.

Nonetheless, despite the hassle, Kate Winslet came out as a savior for the iconic scene which later became a significant part of James Cameron’s Titanic that won 11 Oscars and turned into one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. Although DiCaprio’s lack of seriousness and Cameron’s pursuit of perfection almost thwarted Titanic‘s iconic moment, Winslet saved the day, for all. 

Titanic is available on Prime Video.