Kate Winslet fights body shaming on set of new film

For years, Kate Winslet's body has been subjected to constant criticism. Tabloids were filled with articles about her changing weight—especially when she gained immense popularity after "Titanic." "Apparently, I was too fat," the actress sarcastically summed up viewers' comments in a recent "Happy Sad Confused" podcast. "Why were they so mean? They were very unkind, and I wasn't even fat, for f...k's sake," she added emotionally.

The actress now says outright that if she could turn back time, many journalists would hear from her: "Don't you dare treat me like that. I am a young woman, my body is changing, I'm trying to figure it out, I'm deeply insecure, I'm terrified, don't make it harder than it already is." She now calls the comments about her appearance "bullying and borderline abuse." In drama school, she was told outright that she was only fit for "fat girl" roles. And when she started appearing in films, her agent reportedly regularly commented on her figure.

Winslet has fought against body shaming for years. Therefore, when she heard a comment about the "rolls" on her stomach on the set of her new film, she remembered the remark and shared it in an interview. She recalls that in one of the scenes in the film "Lee. In Her Own Eyes," her character sits on a bench in a bikini. Let's add that the titular Lee Miller was a true star of the 1920s. The model was portrayed, among others, by Pablo Picasso. These were times when models were not size zero, and their bodies differed from today's Hollywood or fashion industry standards.

Winslet recalls that during the shooting of the bikini scene, one of the production people approached her. "Maybe you'd like to sit up straighter?" she was told. "So that my rolls aren't visible? Over my dead body. That was intentional, you know?" the actress replied.

She explained that before starting work on the film, she stopped exercising. She wanted her body to become softer, with natural, fuller shapes. "I am proud of how I look. My life is written on my face, and that's all that matters. I wouldn't think of hiding it," she comments.

In "Lee. In Her Own Eyes," Kate Winslet undergoes several significant transformations for the plot. Her curves are emphasized when she plays a model and muse to artists of the 1920s. In the 1930s, Lee Miller began working as a photographer. When World War II broke out, she decided she had to help somehow.

Initially, she photographed the horrors of war in the UK, but then, at the end of 1942, she received war correspondent accreditation from "Vogue." She created dozens of iconic photos, visiting, among others, Nazi concentration camps. She witnessed the capture of Munich in 1945. Alongside soldiers, she managed to enter Adolf Hitler's private apartment. It was there that the famous photo "Lee Miller in Hitler's Bathtub" was taken. This scene was recreated in the film.

The film "Lee. In Her Own Eyes" was shown at the Camerimage festival in Toruń in 2023. However, the film will only now enter wide release in Polish cinemas. The premiere is scheduled for September 13, 2024.