Kate Elizabeth Winslet, CBE is an English actress. She is known for her portrayals of angst-ridden women, typically in period dramas and tragedies. Winslet is the recipient of several accolades, including three British Academy Film Awards, and is among the few performers to have won Academy, Emmy, and Grammy Awards. Her mother worked as a nanny and waitress, and her father, a struggling actor, took labouring jobs to support the family. Her maternal grandparents were both actors and ran the Reading Repertory Theatre Company.
Born in Reading, Berkshire, Winslet studied drama at the Redroofs Theatre School. Her first screen appearance, at the age of 15, was in the British television series Dark Season (1991). She made her film debut playing a teenage murderess in Heavenly Creatures (1994), and received her first BAFTA Award for playing Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility (1995). Global stardom followed soon after with her leading role in the epic romance Titanic (1997). It was the highest-grossing film of all time to that point, after which she eschewed parts in blockbusters in favour of critically acclaimed but little-seen period pieces, including Quills (2000) and Iris (2001).
Her break through came when Winslet was among 175 girls to audition for Peter Jackson’s psychological drama Heavenly Creatures (1994), and was cast after impressing Jackson with the intensity she brought to her part. Several journalists consider Winslet to be among the best actresses of her generation.
Her most known film was Titanic , 1997, which had a budget of $200 million and was a huge success. Winslet was keen on playing Rose DeWitt Bukater, a free-spirited socialite aboard the ill-fated RMS Titanic, in James Cameron’s epic romance Titanic (1997). Cameron was initially reluctant to cast her, preferring the stars Claire Danes or Gwyneth Paltrow, but Winslet pleaded with him, “You don’t understand! I am Rose! I don’t know why you’re even seeing anyone else!” Her persistence led Cameron to hire her.[42] Leonardo DiCaprio featured as her love interest, Jack. Titanic had a production budget of US$200 million, and its arduous principal photography was held at Rosarito Beach where a replica of the ship was created.
Winslet supports several charities and causes. In 2006, she became a patron of a Gloucester-based charity, the Family Haven, which provides counselling services to vulnerable families. For her work with the Golden Hat Foundation, Winslet received Spain’s Yo Dona award for Best Humanitarian Work. In 2017, Winslet teamed with Leonardo DiCaprio’s environmental foundation for a fundraiser on global warming. Also that year, DiCaprio and Winslet auctioned off a private dinner with themselves to raise money for a British woman’s cancer treatment.
A co-founder of the charity Golden Hat Foundation, which aims to create autism awareness, she has written a book on the topic, The Golden Hat: Talking Back to Autism (2010). Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2009, and in 2012, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Divorced from the film directors Jim Threapleton and Sam Mendes, Winslet has been married to the businessman Ned Rocknroll since 2012. She has a child from each marriage.
NameKate WinsletBirth NameKate Elizabeth WinsletDate of Birth5 October, 1975Age42 years (as of 2017)Social MediaUnknownPlace of BirthReading, Berkshire, UK
Currently living inWest Wittering, West Sussex, UKParentsSally Anne (née Bridges) and Roger John WinsletChildren3Height5 foot 6 inches or 169 cm or 1.69 mProfessionActressEducationSt Mary and All Saints’ Church of England primary schoolActing EducationRedroofs Theatre School in Maidenhead
Charity workPatron of Family HavenRecognition and honorsYo Dona award for Best Humanitarian Work.Star / Zodiac signLibraLanguagesEnglishRelationshipsJim Threapleton (m. 1998, div. 2001)
Sam Mendes (m. 2003, div. 2011)
Ned Rocknroll (m. 2012)Best known for filmsHeavenly Creatures (1994),
Sense and Sensibility (1995),
Titanic (1997),
The Divergent Films Series:
Divergent (2014),
Insurgent (2015)Awards BAFTA Awards: Best Actress for The Reader (2008); and Best Supporting Actress for Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Steve Jobs (2016).
