Kate Winslet names her ultimate Hollywood icon: “Entirely, authentically true to herself”
Kate Winslet has always marched to the beat of her own drum, with decades of experience in a brutal industry that has taught her a thing or two about how to deal with public scrutiny and those who shame you into conformity. It’s a tricky balance to strike, with many women in the industry feeling pressured into fitting a certain image in order to appease the press and avoid backlash, with every element of their physical appearance being dissected and examined under a microscope.
In a world that very much still sees beauty as the ultimate goal for any woman, it’s a hard thing to be true to yourself and maintain a spark of authenticity or individuality, with Winslet having many cruel comments leveraged against her at the beginning of the career.
However, while many would be tempted to give up, Winslet instead grew bolder and more assertive than the forces that tried to take her down, speaking up against the media and impossible standards created for women, becoming a symbol of defiance and strength in an industry where it feels impossible to do so. But there have been many other women who have worked against these forces, with Winslet naming another who remains as her ultimate inspiration.
In an industry that often tries to write your story before you’re given a chance to pen it yourself, it can be difficult to forge a creative identity when people try to place you in boxes. It’s something that the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman and Jane Fonda have struggled with, with each one speaking up about their experiences of being hyper-sexualised and cast in roles that lack a bit of substance, leading the public to underestimate their talent and not view them as ‘serious’ artists.
But despite the onslaught of bullying and scrutiny that Winslet faced for her titular role in Titanic, she then worked against attempt to bring her down and challenged herself through playing bold, fiery and unconventional women, whether it be in The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lee or Mare of Easttown.
This is something that she was perhaps inspired to do after closely following the career of Jodie Foster, describing her as her Hollywood icon, because, “She is always entirely, authentically true to herself.” Foster had a rocky beginning in the industry, with her role in Taxi Driver leading to death threats, stalkers and even an assassination attempt on the President of the United States.
Her portrayal of such a controversial character as a teenager perhaps prepared her for any obstacle that might later come her way, with the actor forging a fearless filmography through defiant performances in films like Silence of the Lambs, Panic Room and Inside Man. She has never been one to make herself smaller so as to please those around her, only growing more confident over the years and selecting projects that truly reflect herself and her values. It’s a tough balance to strike in such a fickle business, but perhaps Foster’s assertiveness has bled into the reputation that Winslet now holds herself.
