Daily Times

Ever since she made a literal splash opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘Titanic’, her status as one of Hollywood’s most in-demand leading ladies has yet to diminish. With ‘The Dressmaker’, Winslet continues to outdo herself.

Not only did she learn to sew for the part, she also assisted costume designer Margot Wilson with the dressmaking process. In honour of her dedication to fashion and filmmaking alike, here are five things you may not have known about Kate Winslet.

Winslet reportedly beat out Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Kidman, Madonna, and Cameron Diaz for the part of Rose DeWitt Bukater in ‘Titanic’, and when she won the role, she sent the film’s director, James Cameron, a bouquet of, what else – roses. Her commitment to the role was so dedicated, she refused to wear a wet suit during filming and came down with a case of pneumonia. “I can never get on a boat without someone saying to me, oh, do you mind? Could we just go up to the front? Just for my mum?,” Winslet once said. “I literally offer it up now. When I get on a boat, I’m like, okay, come on, form a line, here we go.”

Winslet holds the record of the youngest actress to ever receive seven Academy Award nominations. At age 33, Winslet surpassed Bette Davis when she earned her sixth nomination, for her turn in ‘The Reader’, and most recently was nominated for her part in Steve Jobs. When she joined the almost-as-exclusive five-nomination club at 31, other members; Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Cate Blanchett, Susan Sarandon, Glenn Close, she admitted her excitement, “I remember when somebody told me; I did allow myself a serious fist-punching-in-the-air moment,” Winslet said. “By myself in the apartment, you know, just leaping around and screaming. This wasn’t supposed to happen to somebody like me. I’m not the pedigree kid. I’m not classically trained. I didn’t come from the fancy home.”

As the face of L’Oreal, Winslet negotiated a stipulation in her contract that prohibits photo shopping images of her. She revealed in 2015 that she wanted to promote positive body image and a more realistic standard of beauty. “I can only ever speak for myself, and I can only ever do things that are important to me, and it’s a hope that other people might follow suit,” Winslet said. Winslet famously called out British GQ in 2003 after the publication released airbrushed images of her. “I do not look like that and more importantly, I don’t desire to look like that,” she said in a statement at the time. The mother of three maintains a strict no-magazines policy at home. “People don’t really look like that. In films I might look glamorous, but I’ve been in hair and makeup for two hours.”

Winslet got her start acting at age 11, when she appeared in a Sugar Puff commercial. While promoting a film on ‘Good Morning America’, producers surprised Winslet with a throwback clip from the campaign, but the little girl featured was not actually a young Winslet.