Kate Winslet breaks down in tears in new interview: 'It was absolutely appalling'

Kate Winslet broke down in tears during an emotional new interview. Photo / 60 Minutes

Kate Winslet broke down in tears during an emotional interview in which she recalled being “ridiculed” for her weight during her early career.

Speaking to the US investigative news programme 60 Minutes, the Oscar winner, 49, was overcome with emotion when asked about the “appalling” criticism she faced as a young actress.

The star was subjected to a raft of disparaging commentary about her weight and appearance at the beginning of her career, including one interviewer who said Winslet would have to be “melted and poured” into her gown, which should have been “two sizes bigger”. Following the success of 1997’s Titanic, which catapulted Winslet to international stardom, US comedian Joan Rivers said on air that it was the actress’ size that “sunk the Titanic”.

“It was absolutely appalling,” Winslet said. “What kind of a person must they be to do something like that to a young actress who’s just trying to figure it out?”

When asked if she had ever had the chance to retaliate “face-to-face”, Winslet admitted: “I let them have it. I said, ‘I hope this haunts you’.”

As she fought back tears, she continued: “It was a great moment. It was a great moment because it wasn’t just for me. It was for all those people who were subjected to that level of harassment. It was horrific. It was really bad.”

She later recalled a drama teacher who told her: “‘If you’re going to look like this, you’ll have to settle for the fat girl parts.’”

“I was never even fat!” she laughed, adding that the criticism ultimately worked in her favour.

“It made me think, ‘I’ll just show you – just quietly.‘"

Kate Winslet broke down in tears during an emotional new interview. Photo / 60 Minutes

Elsewhere in the interview, the mother-of-three hit back at critics who praised her “bravery” for taking on roles that involved not wearing make-up, or portraying characters of a certain age.

“People say, ‘Oh, you were so brave for this role. You didn’t wear any makeup.’ You know, ‘You had wrinkles.’ Do we say to the men, ‘Oh, you were so brave for this role. You grew a beard?’ No. We don’t.”

The actress has previously addressed body-shaming in the industry, including the moment a crew member asked her to “sit up straighter” to minimise her belly rolls during a scene in the recently released 2023 film Lee, in which Winslet portrays the late American photographer Elizabeth “Lee” Miller.

Earlier this year, Winslet shed light on her private battle with disordered eating in a candid interview with the New York Times, during which she also castigated celebrities who use the type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic for weight loss.

“[Ozempic] sounds terrible. Let’s eat some more things,” she declared.

Winslet has been married three times and has three children. She and director Jim Threapleton were married from 1998 to 2001 and share a daughter, the actress Mia Threapleton. She was married to director Sam Mendes from 2003 to 2011, and the two share a son, Joe. She married her current husband, Edward Abel Smith, in 2012 and had a son, Bear, in 2013.

Winslet recently starred in the HBO political satire miniseries The Regime, and will next reprise her role as Ronal in Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third instalment of the Avatar film series, which is slated for a 2025 release.