E! News Special: The Golden Globe Movie Actress Nominees
Aired January 17, 2002

Transcription and captures by discoverKate.com.

Female Host: Kate Winslet's first gig was as the honey monster in a commercial for kids cereal. I bet you didn't know that.

Male Host: Uhh, no. But what we do remember is Kate's transformation into an international star when she played the role of Rose, the passionate aristocrat, in James Cameron's Titanic.

[The Director's Guild Awards, March 1998]

James Cameron: Of course a lot of the critical praise for the film is centered around Kate's work and Leonardo's work and the other actors as well.

Kate Winslet: Please, please.

Cameron: Come on, come on. That's true, that's why I wanted you guys up there.

Kate: For me, I mean, being nominated for the Golden Globe with such an extraordinary category of women, as far as I was concerned was just such an honor and acknowledgement of what Titanic was for all of us. I was really proud to be there representing the film in such a way.

[Host Voice Over - video from 1998's Academy Awards]

Titanic gave Kate her second Academy Award nomination making her the youngest actress to receive two Academy nods. This year Kate's a Golden Globe nominee for Iris, but her first break came at 17 when she was cast as an obsessive adolescent in the 1994 film Heavenly Creatures.

A year later Kate beat more than 100 other hopefulls in Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility. Kate projected her enthusiasm into the role and received her very first Oscar nomination.

[1995 Interview with Kate]

Kate: Sense and Sensibility was just so massive, you know, that I just was kind of thinking of it as this sort of second film that I was doing. And also it was just so long since I had done Heavenly Creatures. And I, I just wanted to, kind of, just get on with it and get into it and probably I wanted to sort of miss things out. And, uh, was possibly trying to do too much kind of thing and Ang was just, kind of calming me down, getting me balanced, and getting me bouyant, really, in a way.

[Host Voice Over]

Winslet retreated into some independent movies with 1998's Hideous Kinky and Holy Smoke in 1999 where she played a rebellious soul-searcher.

[1999 interview at Holy Smoke premiere]

Kate Winslet: I read the script, and I saw who this girl was and I just wanted to play this part. I thought it was the ultimate challenge. You know, for me playing a young Australian girl, someone who was younger than me, so brave and so bold, and so sort of honest in everything that she does in life. And quite rebellious and often manipulative and I just thought I want to get into all those complexities. And I had a great time playing her.

[Host Voice Over]

The year 2000 found Kate back in period dress as the Marquis de Sade's chambermaid in Quills. Geoffrey Rush also starred in the film. During a news conference at the Berlin Film Festival Rush revealed his true motivation in accepting the part.

[Berlinale Press Conference - February 2001]

Geoffrey Rush: When you're given a script, and on about page 25 you discover that you get to tongue kiss Kate Winslet. And get paid for it [laughter]. You say, I'll sign.

[Kate rushes over and plants a big kiss on Geoffrey.]

Geoffrey Rush: Ummmm. That was a festival freebie. [To Kate] Thank you. Did I blush?

[Host Voice Over]

Although Kate's marriage to James Threapleton, an assistant director for the film Hideous Kinky ended, the birth of their daughter Mia had a happier outcome.

[Kate Winslet interview November 2000]

Kate Winslet: A lot of people would say to me before she was born, you know, how you feel, and how you're nervous about the birth and whatever. And I really never was nervous. And then when it came round to it I did kind of have butterflies in my tummy, but then it just turned into this incredibly powerful kind of experience really.

[Host Voice Over]

Iris is Winslet's latest project. The story of famed British novelist Iris Murdoch who succombs to Alzheimer's disease.

[Iris Clip]

Iris: What are your rooms like?
John: Adequate, thank you.
Iris: I'd like to see them.

[Host Voice over]

The role earned Winslet a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance in a Supporting Role. And after her plain appearance in the film chances are, Kate is looking forward to her red carpet attire.

[November 2001 interview]

Kate Winslet: We always used to joke about the fact how we were going to be labeled the ugliest people on screen, because it's not a particularly pretty film for any of us. It was slightly unerving not even being able to have mascara at work, you know. Very little makeup, not the nicest clothes in the world, and a slightly hideous hairdo. But you know, it's part of the character and when it's part of the character you can do nothing, but just love it.

Source: E! News Golden Globe Special. Transcription and captures by discoverKate.com.