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Kate Winslet Profile |
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Birth Date: October 5, 1975
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Birth Place: Reading, Berkshire, England, UK
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Birth Name: Kate Elizabeth Winslet
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Height: 5'7"
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Biography |
Kate Winslet is an English actress and occasional singer.
She is noted for having played diverse characters over her
career, but probably best-known for her critically acclaimed
performances as Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility,
Rose DeWitt Bukater in Titanic, Clementine Kruczynski in
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Sarah Pierce in
Little Children, April Wheeler in Revolutionary Road, and
Hanna Schmitz in The Reader.
Her grandparents, Oliver and Linda Bridges, founded and
operated the Reading Repertory theater; father Roger Winslet
and mum Sally were both actors; uncle Robert Bridges
appeared in the original West End production of Oliver!; and
both her sisters Beth and Anna are actors. Her younger
brother Joss is probably the only Winslet that did not enter
the family business.
She made her debut at age 11, when she co-starred with the
"Honey Monster" in a commercial for a children's breakfast.
After acting lessons and a graduation from a performing arts
high school, Kate took to the stage in productions of Adrian
Mole and Peter Pan.
Kate then took the television route, with appearances on
sitcoms, most notably a recurring role on the British
comedy, Get Back. Kate went from a rather dark role in the
1994 film Heavenly Creatures (as a teen involved in a
murder), to the more children-oriented A Kid in King
Arthur's Court, where she starred as Princess Sarah.
The British actress' career was about to rise, after Kate
was cast as Marianne Dashwood in the adaptation of Jane
Austen's period piece, Sense and Sensibility, sharing the
screen with Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant.
The film's producers and director, Ang Lee, knew that Kate
was the one for the part during her audition, and to
underscore that decision, she received an Oscar Nomination
for Best Supporting Actress.
She may have lost the Oscar, but she did win the Screen
Actors Guild for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor
in a Supporting Role, and a British Academy of Film and
Television Arts Best Supporting Actress Award, both for
Sense and Sensibility.
As even more evidence that Kate was a natural in a corset,
she next starred in two more period pieces in 1996: Jude
(based on the novel Jude the Obscure), and Hamlet (the one
with Kenneth Branagh), where she starred as the tragic
Ophelia.
In 1997, Kate plunged into the icy waters and made movie
history, as the heroine of James Cameron's mega movie
Titanic. Her role as Rose DeWitt Bukater not only made her
the envy of teenage girls worldwide (for getting to share
breathing space with Leonardo DiCaprio), but it also marked
her transition from artsy, independent films, to commercial
blockbuster flicks. She received another Oscar nod, this
time in the Best Supporting Actress category, making her the
youngest actress to receive two Oscar nominations.
But Kate chose the road less traveled by supposedly refusing
the lead roles of Shakespeare in Love (Gwyneth sure owes her
a big thank you) and Anna and the King, in order to star in
two more alternative, independent films: Hideous Kinky
(1998) and Holy Smoke (1999).
2000 saw Kate in yet another period piece, only this time it
featured her in the critically-acclaimed Quills, in the
story of the Marquis de Sade. She will next be seen in
Therese Raquin, opposite Judi Dench; the romantic thriller
Enigma; and Iris: A Memoir of Iris Murdoch; and heard in the
animated feature Christmas Carol: The Movie, along with
Nicolas Cage.
Delving into children-oriented films isn't a bad idea, since
Kate is also mother to Mia (her daughter with ex-husband Jim
Threapleton)and Joe (her son with husband Sam Mendes).
Oscar sure does like Kate. She was nominated for an Academy
Award for the third time in 2002 as Best Actress in a
Supporting Role for Iris. And her fourth Oscar nod in 2005
was for Best Actress for her work in Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind (2004). Some might even argue that Kate was
robbed of a nomination for her stellar perfomance as a
widowed mother of four boys in 2004's Finding Neverland.
While she has yet to win a little gold statue, Kate is
surely on her way. |
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Other
Information |
Daughter Mia Honey Threapleton was born (in England) on the
12th October 2000, weighing in at 8 pounds 9 ounces.
Kate met husband Jim Threapleton on the set of her movie
Hideous Kinky (1998), where he was working as an assistant
director.
Won Best Spoken Word Album for Children, Grammy Awards,
shared with Graham Greene. [2000]
Turned down the Gwyneth Paltrow role in Shakespeare in Love
(1998) and the Jodie Foster role in Anna and the King
(1999).
Has very large feet and wears size 11 shoes.
At age 11, she began attending the acting school Redroofs in
Maidenhead, England, UK.
Dated Rufus Sewell.
Sister of Anna Winslet, Joss Winslet and Beth Winslet. Kate
is the second child.
The youngest actress ever to be nominated for two Academy
Awards (for Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Titanic (1997))
(Aged 20 and 22 respectively). [1998]
Dated Stephen Tredre. [1991-1995]
Her first acting job was dancing with the Honey Monster in a
commercial for Sugar Puffs cereal.
Nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Manchester Evening
News Award for her theatre role in "What the Butler Saw" as
Geraldine Barclay. [1994]
Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most
beautiful people in the world. [1996]
She has a younger brother, Joss.
Parents: Roger Winslet (actor) and Sally Bridges-Winslet.
After her first success in the film Heavenly Creatures
(1994), a reviewer predicted that she would always be
associated with that character and would never be a big
star.
Recorded a song for the soundtrack for the movie Christmas
Carol: The Movie (2001). Producers were so impressed at her
efforts they have decided to release the ballad - called
"What If?" - as a single. It reached the top ten in the UK,
peaking at number six. [June 2001]
Announced that she and husband Jim Threapleton are splitting
up. [3 September 2001]
[November 2001] Confirms that she is dating director Sam
Mendes.
Purchased a $3 million (US) home in London with boyfriend
(later husband) Sam Mendes. They also bought a home in New
York City.
She holds a unique position in Academy Awards history: Only
twice have two actresses been nominated for playing the same
character in the same film. The first two were Gloria Stuart
and Kate in Titanic (1997). The second two were Judi Dench
and Kate in Iris (2001/I).
Married director Sam Mendes in a private ceremony whilst on
holiday in the West Indies in May, 2003.
Daughter Mia's name is Italian for "my".
Has sung in 5 of her films.
Prefers to wear boots rather than ordinary shoes because it
makes her feel that her feet are "firmly on the ground."
Missed the premiere of Titanic (1997) because she was
attending the funeral of close friend and former boyfriend,
Stephen Tredre.
Son, Joe Alfie Winslet Mendes, was born on December 22,
2003, in New York, and weighed 7 pounds and 13 ounces.
Resides in both London, England, and New York City, America.
Her main home, however, is in Cotswolds, England.
Has a nephew, George. His mother is Beth Winslet.
Sprained her ankle on the set of Romance & Cigarettes (2005)
in May 2004.
She sold her North London home in Belsize Park to Gwyneth
Paltrow and Chris Martin.
Was considered for the role of Bridget in Bridget Jones's
Diary (2001) but it was then decided she was too young to
portray the role.
On the day she had to film the straitjacket scene in Hamlet
(1996), she learned she had won the role of Rose in Titanic
(1997).
While serving as host of "Saturday Night Live" (1975) one
week after Ashlee Simpson-Wentz's "recorded song
malfunction," she opened the show by singing and dancing
live.
Bust size 1996 - 34C.
Born in the same year and on the same day as Parminder
Nagra.
Was born in the same hospital as her husband, Sam Mendes.
Filmed her 2005 American Express commercial in Camden Town,
London, England.
First screen kiss was with Melanie Lynskey in Heavenly
Creatures (1994).
Her performance as Clementine Kruczynski in Eternal Sunshine
of the Spotless Mind (2004) is ranked #81 on Premiere
Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).
Her daughter Mia had to be delivered by Cesarean section,
which made Kate feel she hadn't given birth properly. She
admitted to it only after giving birth to her son Joe (who
had been delivered naturally).
Was offered the role of Eowyn in The Lord of the Rings: The
Two Towers (2002).
Offered the role of Tessa in The Constant Gardener (2005)
but turned it down to do Finding Neverland (2004).
Kate married Sam Mendes, who was a childhood friend of Tom
Hollander, with whom he went to Cambridge University and
whom he directed in several plays. Tom and Kate were both in
the film Enigma (2001).
Very close friends with actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
Nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Premiere Magazine for
Sense and Sensibility (1995)). [1995]
Won Best Film Actress, Smash Hits Magazine. [1998]
Won Sexiest Actress, Entertainment Insider Awards. [1998]
Won Film Actress of the Year, Variety Club of Great Britain.
[1999]
Nominated for Best Actress, Roughcut.com Internet Movie
Award for Holy Smoke (1999). [2000]
When interviewed on "Good Morning America" (1975) to promote
her film The Holiday (2006), they surprised her by showing a
clip which was supposedly Winslet on the Sugar Puff
Commercial in 1987. However, the girl in the clip shown was
not her. Winslet did not point out the error because she did
not want to embarrass the researcher and get the person
fired. She was then praised by the media for her caring and
consideration of other people. [2006]
Her performance in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
(2004) is her personal favorite.
Along with Vanessa Redgrave (for Julia (1977)) and Mare
Winningham (for Georgia (1995)), she is the only performer
to be nominated for an Supporting Oscar (for Iris (2000))
for playing the title role in a movie. As of 2006, Redgrave
is the only one to win.
As of January 2009, she is the youngest actress to rack up 6
Oscar nominations.
Won Best Actress, Toronto Film Festival for Heavenly
Creatures (1994), shared with Melanie Lynskey. [1995]
Runner-Up for Best Actress, New York Film Critics Circle for
Holy Smoke (1999). [1999]
Nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Rec.Arts.Movies.*
Critics Circle for Quills (2000). [2000]
Runner-Up for Best Actress, National Society of Film Critics
for Holy Smoke (1999). [2000]
Runner-Up for Best Actress, New York Film Critics Circle for
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). [2004]
Chris Tookey, of the British newspaper "Daily Mail," chose
her as Best Actress of the Year for her roles in The Holiday
(2006) and Little Children (2006). [2006]
Is a fan of Rufus Wainwright's CD, "Poses" (mentioned in one
of her ads for AmEx).
Nominated for Best Actress in a Dramatic Performance,
Excellent Dynamic Activism (EDA) Awards/The Alliance of
Women Journalists for Little Children (2006). [2006]
In an interview for the London Evening Standard, she
revealed she has taken a year off (from April 2006 to April
2007) from her career, to spend more time with her family.
[2007]
Official Celebrity Spokesperson for Lancôme. [2007]
Her children refer to close friend Leonardo DiCaprio as
"Uncle Leo".
Was named one of '50 Most Beautiful' by People Magazine in
2005.
Auditioned for the role of "Elizabeth" in Kenneth Branagh's
Frankenstein (1994). Helena Bonham Carter got the role, but
Branagh was so impressed by Winslet that he offered her the
part of "Ophelia" in Hamlet (1996).
Involved, along with Sherilyn Fenn, Rufus Sewell, Miranda
Richardson and Paul McGann in the 1998 film project "Johnny
Hit and Run Pauline". The film was to be executive produced
by Emma Thompson, and written and directed by Fay Efrosini
Lellios. The shooting was set to start in June 1998 in New
Hampshire. The film was canceled due to financial
withdrawal. [1998]
Lives in New York City. She also owns a home in
Gloucestershire, England.
Placed third equal (with Anne Hathaway) for Best Actress,
New York Film Critics Circle for Revolutionary Road (2008).
[2008]
The Holiday (2006) was the first movie that Kate used her
own accent and didn't develop a special voice for her
character.
Sister-in-law of Edmund Harcourt.
Only the third person in history to win two acting Golden
Globes in the same year (Best Actress, Drama for
Revolutionary Road (2008) and Best Supporting Actress for
The Reader (2008)).
As of 2009, she is only one of six performers who won a
Golden Globe Award as Best Lead Actor/Actress in a Motion
Picture Drama without being nominated for an Oscar for that
same role (hers for Revolutionary Road (2008)). The others
are Spencer Tracy in The Actress (1953), Anthony Franciosa
in Career (1959), Omar Sharif in Doctor Zhivago (1965),
'Shirley Maclaine' in Madame Sousatzka (1988), Jim Carrey in
The Truman Show (1998).
The producers of the The Reader (2008) tried to promote
Winslet as Supporting Actress during the Oscar race 2009 in
order to enhance her chances to get nominated twice (for
Best Supporting Actress for The Reader (2008) and Best
Actress for her role in Revolutionary Road (2008)). The
Academy overthrew this plan by nominating Winslet for Best
Actress for her performance in The Reader (2008), leaving
aside her performance in Revolutionary Road (2008), although
she won several other award nominations in both categories
for the respective movies. |
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