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Rising to fame withTitanic, Kate Winslet mesmerized her audience with her versatile acting skills and phenomenal performance. The actress thus helmed several auspicious awards and even earned global recognition for her classic hits. Considered one of the greatest actresses of her generation, Winslet however never bothered about turning down the $289M controversial Oscar-winning movie that later went to Gwyneth Paltrow.
Evidently, Kate Winslet was sought to appear in the critically acclaimed 1998 movie,Shakespeare In Love. However, despite realizing the great opportunities that the movie had in storefor her, the actress purposefully refused to take up the role. Guess why she turned down such an iconic role.
Also read:Captain Marvel Star Admitted Matt Damon & Gwyneth Paltrow’s Popularity Made Him ‘Nervous’ on Set of 1999 Thriller: “This guy who had not done that many films”
Kate Winslet Turned DownShakespeare In Love
After gaining global recognition following her appearance in James Cameron’s classic hit,TitanicKate Winslet was offered iconic roles in big-budget movies. However, the actress had always been fond of “soul-searching” flicks, therefore Winslet often appeared in versatile roles that brought out her phenomenal performance. Evidently, witnessing her skills, John Madden eyed the actress for the iconic role inShakespeare In Love.
While the movie had a great script and presented amazing opportunities, Kate Winslet purposefully refused to be a part of the $289M movie. Meeting with Winslet, Madden recalled,
“She read the script and got it completely. I had a lunch with her, where she was ecstatic about it. And then a week later, she called up and said, ‘I don’t think I can.’”
Despite John Madden’s persuasion, Kate Winslet was adamant about her decision. Constantly pushing away the project, the actress eventually turned down the Oscar-winning project, once and for all. “She felt unnerved by it, and she stepped out,” Madden recalled. That’s when Gwyneth Paltrow was offered her career-changing role and she ended up playing Viola in the $289MShakespeare In Love, for which she went in to win an Oscar in the Best Actress category.
Also read:“Many of them started in the medium you denigrate”: Kate Winslet’s Titanic Co-Star Blasted Eva Longoria for Hiding Her Television History to Save Face
Kate Winslet’s Reasons For Refusing TheShakespeare In Love
WhileShakespeare In Loveturned out to be a groundbreaking project for Gwyneth Paltrow that even won her an Oscar, Kate Winslet refusing the role was truly unbelievable. TheTitanicactress is often known for realizing the potential of a film by reading the script. Thus, it appears weird as to why she turned down the Oscar-winning project.
Apparently,Kate Winslethad solid reasons for refusing the role. During an interview, the actress mentioned how she had been looking forward to working on a fulfilling project that might save her soul. Thus, Winslet interestingly turned downShakespeare In Love, for the indie film,Hideous Kinky, which ultimately made just over $1M at the box office.
However, one reason that stood out and impacted Winslet’s decision was her horrificTitanicmemories. Speaking with Josh Horowitz,Kate Winslet reflected uponTitanic’s25th anniversary andrecalled hearing public comments about her physicality. “Apparently I was too fat” people commented in regards to the reason Leonardo DiCaprio couldn’t get on the door.
Feeling insecure about her body, the actress wished she could say,
“Don’t you dare treat me like this. I’m a young woman, my body is changing, I’m figuring it out, I’m deeply insecure, I’m terrified, don’t make this any harder than it already is.”
Thus, realizing how people are going to criticize her no matter what, Winslet chose to work on projects that will set her soul free.
Read more:Kate Winslet Subtly Criticized $2.2B Titanic Script for Omitting Key Details in Filming Sequences: “Nothing was exactly what it was…”
Source:Josh Horowitz,Variety
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3217
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
