March 2000

January 21: My pal Sylvia, who has the great site Dougray Scott in Focus, asked a friend (who has BBC America) to tape the recent repeat of Kate's March 2000 appearance on Michael Parkinson's UK talk show. (Wasn't that nice?!) I received the videotape a couple of days ago, and have done a transcript and screen captures:

MP: My final guest [the other guests were Jimmy Tarbuck and Harry Connick, Jr.] is a girl from Reading who became a big Hollywood star. Better than that, at the age of 11 she made her debut alongside the Honey Monster in a commercial for Sugar Puffs. Ten years later, she was hanging onto Leonardo diCaprio as the Titanic sank. Ladies and gentlemen, Kate Winslet! ... Hello, darling.

Kate: Hello, boys! [To audience] Hello, everybody.

Thank you very much.

Yes, I am indeed.

I don't have a bump yet, which is…

I don't.

The paparazzo will be very, very disappointed.

I know, they'll probably be very annoyed at that. But, no bump yet, no, which is annoying 'cause I want my bump. I want my bump!

I know, I know.

Um, no actually, not at all, not at all. I mean, I didn't... Like everything, you know, when you're young you don't really think ahead. I mean, as much as I thought was, I wanted to act. That was what I always thought when I was little and just wanted to have fun doing it. And I didn't know how things would work out. But, I remember really dreaming about that, but more than that, I didn't think at all.

Yes, all of them.

Everybody. I mean, everybody did it. And because I had grown up with it, I sort of.. I just knew it was what I would end up doing. It wasn't a sort of situation where I thought, yes that's what I'll do and I'll be really great at it, and I want to be a movie star, you know. I wasn't sort of… It wasn't a Judy Garland-type fantasy that I had about the whole thing. And I certainly didn't think about films.

No! It didn't even enter my head.

Well, I was - because that's what my family were. They all did theater, and they toured all over the place, and they did sort of bits and pieces in films. But more than that, it sort of wasn't a huge deal, it was just a job. And I wanted to be part of that world and was fully imagining, you know, a huge struggle. And it is hard, it is really hard work.

Well, there is a story that goes with that, which is that, um, when we shot that scene, when Leo and I were right up on the tip of the thing… We were harnessed on and everything, but we were very high up, and it was about 150 feet high up, this hydraulic thing that sort of went up… And, anyway, it got stuck up there - for two and half hours. So we're up there… But, we were sort of all right 'cause, to be honest with you, we had things like bottles of water stuffed in our pockets, and we were sort of laughing and joking around. But, it was the people below us that I felt sorry for because they were literally hanging from harnesses for two and half hours. And the hydraulics had just broken down and there was nothing they could do apart from try and fix it. But, it was extraordinary. And that was one moment in my career when I was sort of lying there thinking, 'You know, what am I doing? This is just madness!' But, it was funny, as well. I mean, in a situation like that, you know, you have to just laugh.

Yes, I have had that sort of mad feeling since, which is in this recent film 'Holy Smoke' that I did, directed by Jane Campion. There is a scene in that which has been talked about a lot. And it's a scene where I, basically, am sort of going a little bit nutty, and I am naked, [to Harry Connick, Jr.] which I know you wouldn't like, but naked, and, ah…

Harry : For you, it's OK. For me…

This is all for very good reason, I have to say. And I urinate in the middle of this scene, and it was not a happy experience. And it was one of those scenes that I just kept putting off in my mind thinking, 'Oh well, I just won't think about it, and it'll all just go away.' And suddenly, we have to shoot this scene, obviously. And it's the middle of the night, and it's the red sand desert, and it's freezing cold, and this scene is taking place. And I just froze, I just froze, literally, because it was so cold. But because I just thought, 'what on earth possessed me to do this?' And, 'this is nothing to do with my job, nothing to do with my job at all. And there are all these people around me who I don't really know. But, what am I doing?' But I have to keep remembering that when I had read that scene when I first read the script, that it was immensely shocking and that it was there for very, very valid reasons.

Well, I… I mean, [to Harry] I think it's really interesting what you say. And I think, you know, when some actors say that they refuse do nudity in films, I can really understand that.

Harry: But I don't refuse to do a nude scene. I just did a nude scene. He was talking about like sex scenes where you're gettin' down! [Laughter from audience]

Yeah, I mean…

Harry: I'll do a nude scene.

Harry: I show it!

I thought you said you all take your clothes off in your show, anyway.

Harry: I do. This ain't the show!

But, yeah, they are, as you say, they are two totally different things, and, you know, they… You have to give huge consideration to these things. They're not, you know, they're not to be taken lightly. And like you were saying, actually, I would never do anything that I felt was gratuitous in any way. I would always only do it if I absolutely felt that it was necessary. And, you know, believe me, when those scenes come 'round, every single shot that is done during the day, I see it afterwards and I'll say, 'no, that's… I'm really am not happy with that.' It's not so much not happy with the way that I look or anything like that, but it's just… If it's too much and it's not necessary, then I will say, 'no, you know, I want us to do it again, and change that around.'

Mmm, several times.

Well, it's interesting for me, because when we shot 'Holy Smoke', it was… I mean, it was… To be honest with you, it was the film that was the most important to me out of all of the films that I've done just because I just loved this character. I mean, she's very naughty. She's very rebellious, but she's also incredibly driven and just she sticks up for what she believes in. And I just loved all these qualities about her. She's an Australian, so it was a big challenge for me in that sense. And she's also incredibly different to me. So when I came to see the final cut of the film, I thought that I knew almost what to expect, and it was just something completely different. And I really did have this feeling of watching myself on that screen and going, 'I just have no idea who that person is, no idea who she is.' And, actually, parts of her I don't like, which is quite good. 'Cause in a way for me to feel that because I'm trying to constantly like the characters that I play and want to make them loved by the audience. And I have this big problem with making characters sort of unpleasant in any way, 'cause I think, 'well, then, no one's gonna like her, no one's gonna like the performance because she's not particularly nice.' And to sort of give in to the fact that sides of this girl really needed to be pretty mean and manipulative. Because what happens to this girl is that when she goes to India, she falls so much in love with this guru in an ashram. And she really believes that it's what's right for her in the rest of her life. You know, believes it, absolutely, with such passion. And there's nothing about her that's kind of nutty with this. You know, she hasn't been brainwashed, like some cults, I believe do to their devotees, and so on. And she comes home, and she's desperately trying to explain this to her family. And they just all think that she's on drugs and insane.

I did, yes.

I did, yes, I did.

Well, it was amazing 'cause after Morocco - when I shot the film 'Hideous Kinky there'... And I honestly thought, 'God, I'll never be shocked culturally more than Morocco has shocked me.' And then I found myself in India, and it is an extraordinary place. I mean, anybody in the audience will know that India is absolutely incredible. And people say a little bit of India goes a long way, which is true. I mean I was there on this research trip for ten days, and I was so ready to go home. But, as soon as I got home, I wanted to go back. It has this power about it. Its really, truly amazing. And sitting with these gurus in these ashrams was bizarre and slightly frightening for me personally. I found it slightly scary in a sense because you just feel as though they're looking into your soul and they know if you are not being completely honest with them. I mean, I felt that. I mean, it's not that they necessarily could tell if I was maybe not admitting everything to them, and so on. Because they talk to you in a very in-depth manner about who you are and what goes on in your life. And for me, I found it scary because at the time that I met with these people I knew I was marrying Jim, and I felt very kind of sorted out in my life. But, nevertheless, it was immensely helpful for what I needed to do in the film.

Well, that was the good thing about it - was that…

Yes, I really did. And I was shown around these ashrams and I met lots of young girls who were completely with it. They were just full of the joys of what they were finding with these gurus in these ashrams. And I just really thought good on them. You know, I didn't see that they were being in any way manipulated or brainwashed, or anything like that. And I could understand how going to an ashram for some people would be absolutely the right thing to do. But for me, you know, for me it wasn't. But I really need to have gone there and had that experience.

Yes I was, actually, which was really strange because I could be in the bizarrest of places. And there was one situation when I was in the foothills of the Himalayas, and I was walking with a friend of mine, this wonderful Indian girl called Shiva, and we were just walking along, and I had no makeup on, and I was sweating like a pig 'cause it was boiling hot. And this man came walking towards me, and he was hobbling, and he must have been about 80 years old. He had a walking stick, and his eyes were sort of a milky blue, and I could see that he was probably partially blind. And he just stopped and he just looked up at me and he went, 'you Titanic'.

And I just couldn't believe it. And the nearest cinema must have been, you know, at least a seven hour drive away. It was just unbelievable.

But, actually, that, you know, that for me, was, in a way, really helpful in terms of coming to terms with what 'Titanic' had become. Because there were moments when I'd get really frightened and I'd think, 'Oh, you know, my life is just being turned upside down here, and this film is sort of taking over everything.' As much as I knew that people were really appreciating the film, it was still frightening for me. And to find this man saying to me, 'You Titanic'… And the other thing he said was 'thank you.' He said thank you! And I just… it just made me realize that, in fact, for some people the film almost had been a gift. It had given people a lot, and moved people in so many different ways, of all ages. And I thought, 'crickey, you know, I'm really lucky, I'm really lucky.'

No, no. And I loved what you [to Harry] were saying before, actually, about, you know, you just do what you love to do. And number one, we're both lucky that we can do what we love to do, right?

Harry: Yeah, ' cause the Indian guy came up to me and said, 'You not in Titanic.' [Audience laughter] So I know the feeling.

[Kate applauds] Very good!

Yep, I did. It did go mad for a while, but I just sort of thought, you know, if I run off and, you know, get all sort of silly about this and make pots and pots of money doing all these big, big films, actually, people are gonna get really bored of me very quickly. And, you know, I want to wind up like Judi Dench, who is incredible and has been working for so many years doing so many different things. And I would love to have a career like that. And I really believe that the only way to do that is just to absolutely love it. And, you know, at the beginning of starting shooting a movie I do not think, 'right, this is going to be my Oscar winning performance.' If I thought that, I'd be doing it for all the wrong reasons. And I really love acting, just really, absolutely love it.

I do, and I get such a kick out of it. And I'm afraid that, you know, I can't be sort of twisted into doing these really, really big numbers. Because as fantastic as 'Titanic' was, you know, those types of films are exhausting. And I'd never say that I wouldn't ever do it again, but sometimes the independent ones are more challenging, really…

…And more fun, sometimes.

Oh, are you now?

Mmm.

Well, you know, we're women [holding up her arms and flexing muscles]. It's what we were made to do, you know?

Yes. Well, I mean, some women do do that, you know. And some women - their careers are really important to them, and so, therefore, they do say, 'Ah, you know, I'll wait until I'm 35', or whatever, which is absolutely fine. You know, everyone's different. But for me, and for Jim as well, we've always said it'd be great to do it young, it'd be great to do it young. So, we're doing it.

Absolutely.

Oh yeah! I'm sure we will.

Oh, I don't know about 5 or 6.

Well, yeah, maybe. [Grins] You never know.

I know!

I'm fully expecting to blow up like a balloon, actually.

Well, it is this ridiculous obsession. [Turning to Jimmy] And it's just so funny what you say about the guy saying, 'oh, blimey, you've just let yourself go'. Somehow, when you are a sort of well-known figure that people do - which is nice, really - they feel as though they know you.

Yeah! And if I sort of bump into people in the street and they sort of look at me and they go, 'oh, oh…' And they can't work it out for a while. And they go, 'oh, yeah, it's [you].' And I go, 'ooh' [bracing herself]. And they go, 'ah, you know, you're a lot... bigger than I thought.' And I'm sort of standing there going, 'Really?' And they go 'Yeah. Anyway, it's nice to meet you,' and off they go. And I sort of think, 'oh, [grimacing].' You know, how do they feel that they've got the right to sort of say that?

I mean, in a sense, I suppose you don't mind 'cause you think, 'well, they probably think I'm approachable.' And I suppose that's okay. But yes, it's true that being a woman in the acting profession… It does have its pressures, you know, and people are always going on about the fat thing, but I just don't care. I mean, I just don't, and I don't think that any of us should.

Well, that's right.

I've got 'Holy Smoke', which is coming out soon. Then, in April I'm going to be shooting a movie, 'Enigma', which I'm just doing a month on.

It is, it's a great book, yes.

It's all about the breaking of the Enigma code, Second World War, and all that. It's fantastic, but I'm just gonna do a month on that; otherwise, I'll be out here [holds hands out in front of an imaginary 'bump'] decoding things. But, I'll do that and then baby comes along, and then there's things going on next year, but you know, I just can't wait to be a mummy now.

Thank you.

[To audience] Thank you.

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