Kate Winslet: Not for appearances' sake
Kate Winslet sailed to an Oscar nomination for her performance in the blockbuster "Titanic" -- and there's Oscar buzz again this year for her role in the movie, "Steve Jobs." Jim Axelrod has some Questions and Answers:
As the fearless aide to Steve Jobs, Joanna Hoffman was a lot of things: a high-powered executive, a marketing genius, and -- as played by Kate Winslet -- the moral center of the movie, "Steve Jobs." She tells her boss, the visionary behind Apple, "What you make isn't supposed to be the best part of you. When you're a father, that's what's supposed to be the best part of you."
However, one thing the real-life Joanna Hoffman, a no-nonsense, Polish-Armenian immigrant, would not be confused for is a glamorous movie star like Winslet. "Why would they think of me, because Joanna Hoffman looks nothing like me?" Winslet said.
But when the actress heard about this role, she just had to have it.
"You wanted this badly," Axelrod said.
"That's allowed? Isn't that allowed?" Winslet replied.
So she took a selfie (left), and sent it to the film's producer.
"Joanna didn't really wear any makeup, and I put on this short, dark-haired wig and a pair of glasses. And I took one photo, and I just sent it by email to Scott Rudin. No message."
After six Academy Award nominations, an iconic star turn in "Titanic," and an Oscar win for "The Reader," Winslet could expect to get any part she wants. But getting Joanna Hoffman was one thing; playing her, quite another.
"That accent," she said. "There are lots of accents I really can't do. I do a useless Scottish. My Irish is all over the map."
"But Polish-Armenian you nailed?" Axelrod laughed.
"You know, give a girl a challenge!
"I was baffled by it. And I remember I called the real Joanna, and to hear her actually speak, it is different than the way I ended up doing it in the film, for the simple reason that her pitch is much higher than mine. I remember speaking to her for the first time, and I said, 'Hello, Joanna. This is Kate Winslet.' 'Hello. How are you? I'm so happy to hear from you. Well, this is just so exciting!' I thought, Oh my God, there is no -- I can't do that. I can't sustain that for two hours of a movie, you know?"
Kate Winslet's been relying on her acting instincts for 25 years, starting on TV, in a British show called "Dark Season." She was a chunky 15-year-old, and even being on TV did not insulate her from the slings and arrows of schoolyard bullies.
"I was teased for how I looked," she said, "because I was quite stocky as a child, and was very much teased for that."
Now 40, and one of her generation's brightest stars, the pain is still fuel.
"I know that those nasty bullies are still out there," she said, "and there I am, with a big gold statue in my hand. I mean, that's a pretty great fist-pumping moment! That's a lovely message to say to those bullies, you know, 'Where are they? Where are they?'"
"It's not just a fist-pumping moment; it's a little bit of a middle-finger moment," said Axelrod.
"Well, let's not get aggressive," replied Winslet.
But even when you're the face of Lancôme cosmetics, there's not enough makeup to cover the scars of teenaged teasing. She speaks loudly and clearly about body image, often insisting that her image not be retouched.
"I am in an industry where I have to do interviews much like this one -- you know, we walk down red carpets, it's part of the job. But I think I feel very strongly that it's important to also say to young girls that we don't look like that all the time.
"Today I did my own hair and makeup, because it's easier, frankly, sometimes. And I came into this room and I said, 'Okay, I am the hair and makeup team, so someone tell me if I'm shiny.'"
Blunt as she is about gender and beauty, she seemed to struggle a few months ago after Jennifer Lawrence shined a spotlight on the issue of pay equity for actors and actresses.
When asked about it by the BBC, Winslet replied, "I don't want to discuss it; it's vulgar." That reaction caused a bit of a stir.
"Let me explain," Winslet told Axelrod. "So what I think is vulgar is to be talking publicly about actual earning of money. That is, I mean, even as I'm saying it now, I'm slightly being sickened in my mouth. I'm British. We don't do that.
"Jennifer put it brilliantly; she did it so gracefully and graciously. But what I object to is, unfortunately, the line of questioning that it almost gives journalists permission to open with, which I don't like. I fully had a journalist say to me, 'So, do you know if you got paid more or less than Michael Fassbender?' I don't ever want to be asked that question, and I certainly wouldn't answer it. That's what's difficult."
She continued: "Would it make you feel better if I told you that if I am ever in a situation where I feel that there is something unfair happening that I always stand up for myself? Would that make you feel better?"
"Not about what makes me feel better," said Axelrod. "I'm just wondering if you think --"
"I just want to try and answer your question in as delicate a way as I can."
"Well, I'm just wondering if, in theory, is it wrong if there is a gap?"
"It's very difficult to answer that question, because every situation is completely different," said Winslet. "But if you have a man and a woman in a movie of equal experience, of equal size role, who are saying the same number of lines, is it wrong that the guy gets paid more than the girl? You bet your bottom dollar it's wrong! I mean, do you think a schoolteacher, a female schoolteacher wants to sit at home and listen to a bunch of Hollywood actresses talking about how they don't get basically paid enough?"
Winslet's pay grade allows her to live quite comfortably with her third husband and three kids in a small town on the English coast. Hollywood A-Lister perhaps, but one who finds one of life's great pleasures in a country henhouse.
"You're in luck," she said, pulling out eggs. "Look! This means that the little bantams, the little black ones have started laying. This is really great, actually. I must say, this is exciting. This is exciting. Well done, everybody!"
For Winslet, happiness is running to the store with no worries about dodging paparazzi.
"You have to have a home and somewhere to run and hide," she said. "Also, we're very fortunate. It's a lovely community where we live. And so yeah, we're just part of the community."
"So here you can run and get a quart of milk and not have to worry about anything other than getting the milk?"
"Not a problem. I even do the school run in my dressing gown, bathrobe and pajamas. Yup, absolutely."
At this point, it seems that Kate Winslet doesn't want to live a second more of her life than she has to worried about appearances -- unless of course she's changing them herself to snag a role that just might put her in the running for her next Oscar.
To watch a trailer for "Steve Jobs" click on the video player below.
For more info:
- "Steve Jobs" (Universal)