At 17, Rose truly felt what freedom is like when she stood on the ship railing and spread her arms with Jack Dawson just behind, embracing her in the movie Titanic.
Titanic also gave wings to the career of Kate Winslet, as she instantly became one of the most sought-after actresses of the time. Now 47, Winslet is a seven-time Academy Award nominee, with several iconic characters in her bag.
However, it was on the sets of HBO’s mini-series, Mare of Easttown, where she really got to – like Rose – stretch her arms and make a difference both in front of the camera and behind it.
What Kate Winslet Demanded as Executive Producer While Filming Mare of Easttown
The murder mystery series which premiered in 2021 received rave reviews for showing deeply real characters, including Kate Winslet‘s Mare Sheehan – a detective who tries to solve a murder in a small Pennsylvania town and at the same time faces the challenge of keeping her personal life together. Behind the scenes, it was Winslet, who was juggling multiple challenges.
Apart from carrying the responsibility of the lead role in the period drama, she was also an executive producer. In an interview with IndieWire, Winslet reflected on her experience. She said:
“With ‘Mare,’ it just felt like the right time. Plus, I had learned so much about producing, and I thought, ‘Well, if ever I’m going to produce, I want to know what I’m doing.’ I don’t want to have the title in name only. I don’t want to do that. I think people maybe do that a bit, and that’s not my bag.”
The Reader star, as a producer, was really determined to create a working environment bereft of any superficial status symbols. In this pursuit, Winslet made sure her trailer on the set was the same size as all the others. Recalling her non-negotiable condition, she stated (via IndieWire):
“I remember telling our producer Mark Roybal, about a week before we started, ‘Oh, just quickly, it’s very, very important to me that you know this: I don’t know how the process works with booking trucks and equipment, but if I arrive on day one and I have a trailer that’s bigger than everyone else’s, no matter what it says on my contract, I will actually cry.”
Winslet’s demand was met and everyone ended up with the same size of trailers. She certainly enjoyed the experience because, after the HBO mini-series ended, she assumed the role of executive producer once again, for one episode of the television series I Am… in 2022.
What Made Kate Winslet’s Mare of Easttown Character So Special
Apart from new responsibilities, Mare of Easttown, which also featured Angourie Rice, provided her the opportunity to portray a character that she resonated with more than any other period role.
Elaborating on her character, the Oscar-winning actress said Mare is a woman who looked at herself in the mirror when she brushed her teeth in the morning and wouldn’t look in the mirror again. And that’s how she sees herself, like “most busy mothers.”
“I’m much more like Mare Sheehan than any of the characters I’ve ever played in any period films,” Winslet said (via IndieWire).
Her fans and critics alike also saw something special in her performance, as she ended up winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie in 2021.
Source: IndieWire
