The co-star Kate Winslet would work with every day of her career: “My absolute favourite”
Co-stars can often make or break an actor’s experience on set, and cinema history is littered with famous on-set feuds and lifelong friendships.
The set is no doubt an intense work environment filled with big personalities, so it’s only human that it would foster intense relationships. One downside, or upside, depending on the way the relationship goes, is that actors might only get that one chance to work with those newfound friends or rivals. But it’s interesting to wonder who the biggest stars would choose to work with over and over again, if given the choice.
For Kate Winslet, the answer is a no-brainer, despite having a long, star-studded list of colleagues. She’s worked with everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio and Jim Carrey to Anthony Hopkins and Marion Cotillard. However, speaking on Kelly & Mark Live, she revealed, “I have to be honest, my absolute favourite is Emma Thompson”.
The two iconic actors starred alongside each other in the 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. It was only Winslet’s second feature film, at the tender age of 19, and she was tasked with the job of playing the Academy Award-winning Thompson’s younger sister. However, she made such a good impression on the young Winslet that the two are still friends.
“I couldn’t believe I was there… but Emma was absolutely wonderful. She made me feel like I’d earned my place at the table, and she gave me really great pieces of advice,” Winslet explained, adding, “She’s an incredibly important person in my life, still today.” With 17 years between the actors, it’s understandable that the more experienced Thompson took the young Winslet under her wing.
Not only is she supremely talented but she’s remained a close friend of Winslet’s, continuing to offer the actor advice when she started to make it big after Titanic, having already been a creative powerhouse who had won Oscars for both her acting and writing capabilities. It’s a fact others have been quick to highlight, given the prevalence of multi-hyphenated men over women.
Winslet also made the point that when she’s asked the question of her favourite co-star, it seems people have one answer in mind: “I often think that people are assuming that the answer might be a male co-lead, but I have been the most inspired by the women that I’ve worked with.” It’s not difficult to figure out which co-star many fans might be rooting for in this regard. Given the enduring popularity of Titanic and the onscreen chemistry, many would presume Leo.
It also wouldn’t be out of the realm of sense to suggest that there might be a touch of sexism behind that impulse, given that women are so often pitted against each other. But Winslet’s answer is a refreshing one that demonstrates the enduring and inspiring friendships that women can strike up on set. And who knows, maybe we’ll get to see Winslet and Thompson reunite one day.
