The actor, whose directorial debut film Goodbye June was released this month, said she knew from a young age that she wanted to act. She was inspired by old black-and-white photographs of her grandparents performing on stage. Even so, she often found herself playing supporting roles and said she never strongly aimed to be a leading actor.
Winslet recalled a particularly painful moment with a drama teacher who told her she would only have a career if she was willing to accept “fat girl parts.” Reflecting on that comment now, she said, “Look at me now,” adding that it is “appalling the things people say to children.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, Winslet said she was bullied at school because of her size. She was teased with names like “blubber” and was once locked in an art cupboard. She said these experiences forced her to develop a thick skin at an early age.
Winslet left school at 16, around the time she landed her first film role in Peter Jackson’s 1994 movie Heavenly Creatures. She said the bullying later contributed to struggles with her body image, including periods of dieting between the ages of 15 and 19. At one point, she said she was barely eating and now looks back on that time as unhealthy and something she regrets.
Despite the challenges, Winslet said she focused on acting and creativity as a way to move forward. She refused to let the bullying derail her ambitions and credited her supportive family for helping her cope.
“I wouldn’t let them spoil a trajectory that I was determined I was on,” she said. “And at least I had a lovely family to go home to.”
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