Burned by the tabloids, Kate fights back with 'David Gale'
February 16, 2003

CUT: Gabriel Mann and Kate Winslet in a scene from 'The Life of David Gale.' Winslet researched her role as a journalist in the film by chatting up working journalists. In 'Gale,' her character's assigned to interview a death-row inmate (Kevin Spacey) who had crusaded against capital punishment before he was accused of rape and homicide.

By AMY LONGSDORF
Times Leader Correspondent

There was no small amount of irony when Kate Winslet was cast as a journalist in "The Life of David Gale." She certainly brought more than her acting credits to the role.

Ever since "Titanic" turned her into an international movie star, the actress has become prime fodder for the British tabloids. Hundreds of articles have been written about her fluctuating weight, her marriage and divorce from cameraman Jim Threapleton and her current romance with "American Beauty" director Sam Mendes.

She's always taken the press scrutiny in stride until last year when stories began appearing in the papers accusing her of being a neglectful mom to 3-year-old daughter Mia.

"My child is the most important thing in my life, and there came a time last summer when I thought, 'How can I go on living like this?' " Winslet says. "So many people would call me up and say, 'Did you see that thing in such and such a paper saying that Mia lives with her father?'

"I'm supposedly always out and about, attending premieres and blah blah blah. And that really made me absolutely furious. Because, of course, my child lives with me, and, of course, I'm with her all the time.

"I know why my marriage broke down. I know that it had nothing to do with Sam Mendes. But the British press tried to suggest that it did. They saw my ex-husband as the underdog. I'm legally obliged not to comment on what really happened with my marriage, but it was horrible. Really horrible."

Winslet shudders and takes another puff on a hand-rolled cigarette. It's early in the morning at the Regency Hotel in Manhattan, but the actress is a picture of casual elegance in blue jeans, beige blazer and high heels.

"Can I tell you what it all feels like?" she continues. "It reminds me of being a fat kid at school, doing nothing wrong, being really nice to everyone and being bullied and being unable to fight back. It reminds me of that feeling, and it's really, really hurtful."

Getting burned by the tabloids didn't stop Winslet from going after the role of a high-powered journalist in "David Gale." In the movie, she plays Bitsey, a reporter who's sent to interview the title character (Kevin Spacey) on death row. Ironically, he's a one-time capital-punishment foe who's been accused of raping and killing a fellow crusader (Laura Linney).

"I don't paint all journalists with the same brush, or I wouldn't be sitting here today," Winslet says. "I thought 'David Gale' was an incredible story and that Bitsey was a challenging, fascinating character. I really went after it."

An incentive was the chance to work with British director Alan Parker, whose varied filmography includes everything from "Bugsy Malone" and "Fame" to "Mississippi Burning" and "Angela's Ashes."

"I absolutely adore Alan; we had a brilliant relationship," Winslet says. "We laughed so much, it was just beyond ridiculous. I've loved his work since 'Bugsy Malone.' I wanted to be a kid in 'Fame.' And so when this came around, I just thought, 'I've got to be in this movie!' "

Before filming began, Winslet talked to a handful of New York journalists, many of whom had, at one time, interviewed her. She had dozens of questions for them about their work methods.

"The big thing I learned was that there's no such thing as off the record," Winslet says.

For his part, Parker was surprised at the degree of veracity the actress brought to the role. "There were times when I didn't recognize her," he says. "I know her as a person, and she's down to earth, extremely funny and very good with the crew. But when she's acting, it's amazing how she can transform herself into a very different kind of woman."

Winslet came to acting naturally. The Reading, England, native is the daughter of stage actors Roger and Sally Winslet and the granddaughter of Oliver and Linda Bridges, a thespian duo responsible for founding the Reading Repertory Theatre.

Winslet landed her first professional gig at 11, dancing opposite the Honey Monster in a commercial for a kids cereal. Six years and countless stage productions later, she made a mesmerizing film debut as a murderous teenager in Peter Jackson's "Heavenly Creatures."

Just as her career was taking off, Winslet lost her long-time boyfriend Stephen Tredre to cancer. It turned out to be a life-shaping experience for the young actress.

"I lost Stephen when I was 20, and there was no reason on this planet why he should have died," she says. "That really teaches you that you have to make the best of it all because you get one shot at it."

Winslet's life took another sharp turn after the success of "Titanic," which ranks as the most successful film in Hollywood history. The movie earned her a Best Actress Oscar nod and a legion of teenage fans.

"After 'Titanic,' I thought, 'God, how am I going to cope with this all?' Even though I've always felt I have an old head on my shoulders, it's difficult when you're suddenly thrown into the public eye, and you think, 'Hold on, why is this happening? I'm only an actress.'

"I feel I've remained completely the same person. But I've changed a lot simply because I'm 27 now. I was 21 when we made 'Titanic.' I have a child now. Those things transform your life."

One of the ways Winslet handled the tidal wave of success was by turning her back on Hollywood. She passed on "Shakespeare in Love" and "Anna and the King" to star in a series of small, independent films, including "Hideous Kinky," "Holy Smoke," "Quills," "Enigma" and "Iris."

"By going off and doing 'Hideous Kinky,' I put myself back in the place that I really wanted to be," Winslet notes. "It reminded me of why I loved acting. I met my now ex-husband on that film, and had I not met him I wouldn't have my daughter. So I'm very grateful for those things. In many ways 'Hideous Kinky' kind of saved my sanity at that time, most definitely."

Off screen, Winslet has worked just as hard to maintain control over her persona. When British GQ recently retouched a cover shot of Winslet to make the shapely actress appear thinner, she went public with the information.

"Those pictures were so digitally retouched," she whoops. "I'm not 6 feet tall, for God's sake. I'm 5 foot 6. And I don't even know what I weigh - I'm probably about 130 pounds - and on the magazine, I look 100 pounds.

"I know lots and lots of young women go out and buy these magazines. I didn't want them to think, 'Kate Winslet has let us down; she's lost 30 pounds!' I don't want anyone thinking I'd want to look like a rail. I'm normal weight, and I'm comfortable with how I look."

Winslet is also comfortable with how her career is progressing. Upcoming is a role as Jim Carrey's girlfriend in "The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," a comedy written by Charlie Kaufman ("Adaptation").

"I'm having a blast on that one," she says. "An absolute blast."

Comedy is a new challenge for the actress.

"I never want to feel like I know how to do it," she says. "I never want to feel I've got it all sussed. I've always admired Judi Dench's career, in the way that she's done absolutely everything - great TV, incredible films and brilliant, brilliant theater. And she's still doing it.

"I want to be excited by what I do for a living when I'm 60. And I want to be learning new things and listening to other people's opinions. I want to be still trying to do my best 30 years from now."

Source: Times Leader