KATE WINSLET IN TITANIC

CHARLES GIBSON, Host: When the ill-fated "Titanic" set sail in April 1912, no one could have predicted the fate that awaited it. And the same could be said for actress Kate Winslet when she signed to star in director James Cameron's $200 million epic based on the now-legendary disaster. Take a look at this scene, Kate Winslet with actor Billy Zane.

(clip from Titanic)

KATE WINSLET, Actress: I don't see what all the fuss is about. It doesn't look any bigger than the "Mauritania."

BILLY ZANE, Actor: You can be blase about some things, Rose, but not about "Titanic." It's over 100 feet longer than "Mauritania" and far more luxurious. Good God, it's far too difficult to impress you.

CHARLES GIBSON: The box office sensation, the film has catapulted the English actress to the top of Hollywood's A- list, secured her a second Golden Globe nomination, has made her a contender for this year's best actress Oscar. And Kate Winslet is joining us. It's a pleasure to have you here.

KATE WINSLET: Thank you very much.

CHARLES GIBSON: Can you give me your right hand?

KATE WINSLET: I certainly can.

CHARLES GIBSON: I saw this in a nickelodeon once, and I've always wanted to try it.

KATE WINSLET: Well, flattery will get you everywhere, so...

CHARLES GIBSON: It's much better when Leonardo DiCaprio does it, though. I can't do it with the same elan and aplomb that he does it. That's really a very beautiful scene when that, when that happens.

KATE WINSLET: Well, it's -- I mean, it's -- it is, it was all so extraordinary, really, to shoot everything, because everything that we were doing and every scene, every environment, every wall, every piece of cutlery was exactly what would have been on the ship itself, complete replicas.

CHARLES GIBSON: Do you have a favorite scene in the movie?

KATE WINSLET: My favorite scene is the steerage party scene, because we just had such a ball. I mean...

CHARLES GIBSON: You're kicking up your heels.

KATE WINSLET: Oh, we had such a good time. I mean, Leo and I had a great friendship anyway, as I think is -- and that's been reported sort of again and again and again. We were fantastic friends. But that scene was hilarious, because we were swinging round and round and round and round, and he was throwing me all over the place. And we had that wonderful Irish band playing right there in the room with us.

And it was just great, (inaudible)...

CHARLES GIBSON: You were pretty good at that. I was actually very impressed. That's hard dancing to do.

KATE WINSLET: Well, it was difficult dancing to do, but I have to say, it was harder trying to control Leo, because he was just all over the place and throwing me into different directions, and...

CHARLES GIBSON: "Titanic" first, River Dance next, that's what you'll be out dancing in the Irish dancing show a little bit later. But it is, that scene is a lot of fun. But I gather there were some dangerous scenes as well. I -- is it true that you almost drowned in (inaudible)...

KATE WINSLET: Well, I mean, does -- no, I mean, I didn't, I didn't nearly drown. Sometimes it felt, you know, it felt incredibly frightening when we were sort of trapped behind the iron gates and things, and we would break free. And there was a coat that I was wearing that kept getting caught in the gate. And at that point, you know, I did sometimes think, Oh! you know. And you sort of really panic, and your adrenaline's pumping and everything.

But, you know, I was with Leo, and Jim Cameron is, of course, a complete genius at working in the water, and there were safety divers everywhere. And, I mean, really, everything was absolutely (inaudible)...

CHARLES GIBSON: Yes, but I get panicky when I'm under water, you know?

KATE WINSLET: Yes, well, I mean, you know, that is the thing. It was just being in the water, and you couldn't touch the bottom. And sometimes, wearing those period costumes in the water was a very difficult thing to do, and high-heeled shoes catching in the dress so I couldn't kick sometimes.

But there were men sort of untangling my dress from my legs under the water, and I really was fine at the end of the day. But occasionally it did feel a bit frantic.

CHARLES GIBSON: And at the end, when you're in the water, you really do look cold.

KATE WINSLET: Well, we -- I mean, sometimes we were cold, and that was actually something that I said to -- I requested. I said to Jim Cameron, I said, "You know, you -- please don't heat the water too much, because... " he -- you -- it wouldn't have felt -- it wouldn't have felt right, you know, to be comfortable...

CHARLES GIBSON: Right.

KATE WINSLET:... in that situation like that and within a scene, we...

CHARLES GIBSON: You're not comfortable, that's obvious you're not comfortable.

KATE WINSLET: Well, it would have been a hell of a lot colder for the people that went down with the ship.

CHARLES GIBSON: Sure, sure.

KATE WINSLET: And so, you know, you could sometimes use that temperature. And we were pretty freezing, but we kept sort of holding each other's hands, going (blowing on hands) like this.

CHARLES GIBSON: Has this changed life for you?

KATE WINSLET: Well, in terms of me and my life and my family and friends and everything, no, I mean, you know, everything goes on the same...

CHARLES GIBSON: Sure.

KATE WINSLET:... and I still go and do my supermarket shopping and things like that. But in terms of career opportunities, they are -- you know, they are sort of getting greater and greater. It's very exciting.

CHARLES GIBSON: Well, it is very exciting, and terrific to watch, and you do a marvelous job. It's a pleasure to meet you.

KATE WINSLET: Well, you too, thank you.

CHARLES GIBSON: Thank you very much. Kate Winslet, "Titanic," but you all know that, most of you have seen the movie by now.

Transcribed by Federal Document Clearing House, Inc.