Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes were married for 11 years, and during that time, they only worked together on one film: Revolutionary Road. The experience was a unique one for both of them and reportedly, it brought them closer together as a couple. However, not many know that Winslet was initially hesitant to work with her then-husband.
It seems that Winslet was eventually persuaded by her friends and colleagues to take on the project. She was curious to see a different side of Mendes and was also eager to learn more about the filmmaking process from him.
How did Tom Hanks’ suggestion help Kate Winslet to arrive at a decision
Even though Kate Winslet really wanted to work with her husband Sam Mendes, she had some doubts about her decision. While explaining what exactly bothered him, she said,
“Going into it, I did have several moments where I would say ‘Oh my God, what if we have a row? What will we do?’ And Sam would say, ‘Oh, don’t be silly, of course we won’t.’ And I was thinking, ‘Oh, well, I’m sure we won’t – I hope we don’t.”
And to arrive at a decision, the actress would often ask her co-actors and friends for suggestions. She added,
“I’d have Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Hanks and even Paul Newman, when he was alive, say to me ‘you’ve got to work with him sometime’ and I was saying ‘I know, I really want to, stop going on about it!’ I did see other sides to Sam and that’s a great thing, to learn more about the person you’re sharing your life with.”
And these suggestions helped her take the leap, and Winslet agreed to get on board with her husband for the movie. However, it seems that the experience wasn’t as smooth as she might have wanted it to be.
Kate Winslet described working with her husband as ‘coming out of a car wreck’
Interestingly, the two of them had different approaches to their work. Winslet liked to take her work home with her, while the James Bond franchise’s Skyfall director preferred to unwind after a long day of shooting. However, they were able to find a way to make their professional relationship work.
Winslet said that working with Mendes was like “walking away from a car crash with no cuts or bruises.” She described the experience as “intense” but ultimately rewarding. On the other hand, Mendes was also surprised by Winslet’s work ethic and her ability to have fun on set.
Ultimately, Revolutionary Road was a critical and commercial success, and it won Winslet an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. The film also helped to solidify Mendes’ reputation as one of the most talented directors working today.
Source: Showbiz CheatSheet
