Owing to her superlative work and impressive range, this sexy British thespian was the first actress to snag four Oscar nods before turning 30. Born to an acting family (her parents, grandparents and sisters are all performers), Winslet began training at an early age. At 19 she made a stunning film debut as a frail, romance-obsessed teen driven to murder in 1994's
Heavenly Creatures. Set in the '50s, the fantastical film was the first of a series of period pieces for the actress. Her turn as another lovesick maid in the film adaptation of Jane Austen's
Sense and Sensibility earned Winslet her first SAG Award, and Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. But it was her sexy performance as a headstrong society lady in
Titanic that would turn her into a megastar. As the female lead in one of the highest-grossing films of all time, the modest Winslet was suddenly slapped on magazine covers and found herself idolized and analyzed. Her weight became a constant point of controversy, as she was curvier than most of her cinematic contemporaries. But Winslet publicly refused to starve herself and even criticized GQ magazine for retouching cover photos to make her look thinner. Her independent nature lead her to eschew typical Hollywood fare in favor of quirkier flicks (
Hideous Kinky,
Holy Smoke!) and prestige projects, such as
Iris, which again earned her Oscar and Golden Globe nods. At this point, Winslet was divorced from her first husband, assistant director James Threapleton, involved with director Sam Mendes and mother to two children. Understandably, she slowed her pace a bit, yet she made a marked impression in every movie she found time to make, whether it was her endearing turn as an impulsive soul trapped in a dysfunctional relationship in
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (more Oscar and Golden Globe nods) or a widow who befriends the author of
Peter Pan in
Finding Neverland. In 2006, she lent her talents to a quartet of projects, including the so-so comedy
The Holiday, which proved she could evoke laughs, and the gripping drama
Little Children, which brought myriad nominations for her performance as an unhappy housewife involved in a torrid affair. The elusive Oscar and Golden Globe trophies both finally arrived in 2009, after six nominations for each. Her reteaming with
Titanic’s Leonardo DiCaprio as a struggling couple in
Revolutionary Road netted her the Globe for Best Actress, while her sensitive portrayal in
The Reader garnered both the Best Actress Oscar and the Best Supporting Actress Globe.
Kate Winslet Fast Facts:
- Landed her first acting job at age 11 as the spokesperson for Sugar Puffs breakfast cereal.
- Met first husband Jim Threaplethon on the set of 1998's Hideous Kinky, where he was the assistant director.
- In 2009, became only the third person in Golden Globes history to receive two acting Globes in the same year: Best Actress for Revolutionary Road and Best Supporting Actress for The Reader.
- Kate Winslet Relationships:
- Jim Threapleton - Ex-husband
- Mia Honey Threapleton - Daughter
- Joe Alfie Winslet-Mendes - Son
- Anna Winslet - Sister
- Beth Winslet - Sister
- Sally Winslet - Mother
- Roger Winslet - Father
- Joss Winslet - Brother
- Sam Mendes - Husband (separated)
- Louis Dowler - Ex-significant Other
- Ned Rocknroll - Significant Other
- Kate Winslet Awards:
- 1999 Grammy: Best Spoken Word Album For Children - Winner
- 1998 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 2007 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 2005 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 1996 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2002 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 1997 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2004 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2006 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 1995 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- 2001 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- 2009 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Winner
- 2009 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Winner
- 2008 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Winner
- 2008 BAFTA Awards: Best Leading Actress - Nominee
- 2008 BAFTA Awards: Best Leading Actress - Winner
- 2006 BAFTA Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2004 BAFTA Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2001 BAFTA Awards: Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- 1995 BAFTA Awards: Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Winner
- 2008 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2008 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role - Winner
- 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2004 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2004 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2000 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- 1997 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 1997 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 1995 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 1995 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role - Winner
- 2011 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Winner
- 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries - Winner
- 2012 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical - Nominee
- 2012 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Winner
- 2012 César Awards: Honorary César - Winner
- 2006 Emmy: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series - Nominee