Kate Winslet’s acting career soared high after she starred in James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic, and along with it was the global fame she never expected would happen overnight. To receive such worldwide attention was overwhelming for the actress, to the point that she gave up her chance to star in equally massive films in order to work on small-budget ones.
Starring opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, Winslet portrayed Rose DeWitt Bukater in the romance-tragedy movie. The film is notably one of the highest-grossing titles of all time, earning over $2.2 billion against a production budget of $200 million.
Kate Winslet Opened Up About The Horrors Brought By Titanic’s Popularity And Success
Revealing her sentiments regarding fame and fortune, Kate Winslet spoke with Porter Magazine to discuss the distress she experienced after rising to stardom brought by the triumph of Titanic.
“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.”
After the release of the 1997 James Cameron blockbuster, Winslet went on to star in independent movie projects instead of seeking big-budget films. People criticized her choices, but she defended herself and shared:
“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 life I did! Because, guess what, being famous was horrible.’ ”
As if the privacy invasion of media was not enough, the actress lamented in a 2021 episode of the WTF with Marc Maron podcast how she was terrorized by everything that fame and money did to her personal life.
“I felt quite bullied, if I’m honest. I remember just thinking, ‘Okay, well, this is horrible, and I hope it passes.’ And it did definitely pass, but it also made me realize that if that’s what being famous was, I was not ready to be famous, thank you. No, definitely not.”
Winslet has become one of the most sought-after actresses, and throughout the years, she has learned how to navigate through the chaotic world of Hollywood.
Why Kate Winslet Avoided Taking Massive Projects After Titanic
Kate Winslet revealed to IndieWire why she refused to become a part of blockbuster films after starring in Titanic. She noted exploring her other options as well as avoiding the stress.
“I was in a position where I could choose at that point and chose to do some smaller films because I wanted to stay grounded, and I wanted to learn and I wanted to stretch myself and to play characters. I also didn’t want to burn out.”
The actress has no regret over her decision to say no to massive franchise projects. Winslet also admitted she did not want to become a one-hit wonder and just fizzle out when she is no longer popular. In the end, the Labor Day star believed she did the right thing.
Titanic is available to stream via Paramount Plus and Prime Video.
