Kate Winslet :- Hollywood actress Kate Winslet says that when she plays mentally disturbed and intense characters on screen, it takes her time to detach herself from the role and return to her real life. She admitted that it’s not easy to feel normal again after playing such roles.
The Academy Award-winning actress recently spoke openly about this experience on the ‘Lessons From Our Mothers’ podcast. She said that this experience is quite personal for her as an actress, and that’s why she doesn’t talk about it much. But when a character is very painful and difficult, its impact lasts for a long time.
Referring to her acclaimed show ‘Mare of Easttown’, Kate Winslet said that the character was completely exhausting for her. She said that after playing such roles, she has to go through a process of “returning” to her life, which she calls “re-entry.”
She explained that re-entry means – returning to her friendships, reconnecting with her family, getting back into the rhythm of everyday life, and completely leaving the character behind. Letting go of a character is not easy, especially when you’ve lived with it for a long time.
Winslet said that it becomes even more difficult for actors working in television because the character lasts for months or even years. In such cases, it’s completely natural for it to take time to get that character out of your system.
She also admitted that she had to seek professional help after working on the 2021 crime drama ‘Mare of Easttown’. In this series, she played a mentally troubled Pennsylvania detective, which proved to be emotionally very heavy for her.
Kate Winslet revealed that the show’s shooting was supposed to be completed in the first six months, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the shooting was interrupted. After five months of shooting, everything was postponed, and when production resumed, the remaining five weeks of shooting had to be stretched over ten weeks. She said that she was in the same role for over a year, and by the end of that period, she felt quite mentally unstable. She honestly admitted that she needed proper help to get back on track at that time.
Winslet also said that she feels awkward talking about this because she knows it might sound self-indulgent to some. But for her, the experience was very real, and she learned a great deal from it.
In the interview, she also mentioned her son Joe Anders (22), who is her son with her ex-husband Sam Mendes and is now venturing into the world of acting. Joe recently finished working on the new series ‘Cape Fear’.
Kate Winslet said she is happy that she is able to emotionally support her son at this time, as he is also going through a process of coming out of a demanding role. She said that the feeling of being a mother has been rekindled deeply within her during this period.
She said she is teaching her son not to put too much pressure on himself — to eat well, to connect with others, to spend time by the sea. It’s okay if he doesn’t feel like talking. It’s perfectly fine if he wants to stay in bed all day.
According to Kate Winslet, sometimes doing nothing and giving yourself time is the best form of recovery. Her lesson is that being gentle with yourself is crucial for mental well-being.