I was grateful but being famous was horrible: Kate Winslet on ‘Titanic’

Los Angeles, Feb 19 (PTI) Kate Winslet became an overnight star with “Titanic” in 1997 but the actor still cannot shake off the scrutiny that she faced in her twenties.

In an interview with Net-A-Porter, the 48-year-old actor recalled the constant media attention that came with the success of the James Cameron-directed film which featured her alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. The film won 11 Oscars.

“I felt like I had to look a certain way, or be a certain thing, and because media intrusion was so significant at that time, my life was quite unpleasant,” Winslet said. “Journalists would always say, ‘After ‘Titanic,’ you could have done anything and yet you chose to do these small things. And I was like, ‘Yeah, you bet your f***ing life I did! Because, guess what, being famous was horrible.’ I was grateful, of course. I was in my early twenties, and I was able to get a flat. But I didn’t want to be followed literally feeding the ducks,” the actor said.

Winslet, who went on to build a successful career and won the best actress Oscar for her role in “The Reader”, said she has become accustomed to her fame over the years.

“I wear it really lightly. It’s not a burden, any of it. (‘Titanic’) continues to bring people huge amounts of joy. The only time I am like, ‘Oh god, hide’, is if we are on a boat somewhere,” the actor said.