Kate Winslet says she wanted to be an actress from the age of
five but because her family members were stage actors, she was not
aware of the world of film. She attended Redroofs Theatre School and
made her debut television performance, aged 11, dancing in front of the
breakfast cereal mascot, the Honey Monster.
It
is ironic her first role was advertising for food because as
effortlessly down-to-earth as she seems, Winslet suffered at the hands
of bullies throughout her adolescence. She was trapped in the art
cupboard at school and taunted by the nickname ‘Blubber’ for being
overweight. It is this experience that incenses her to stand up against
the trend to shed weight. “I was like all those girls,’’ she said. “It
was an unstoppable feeling. I starved myself. So seductive - all my
bones sticking out.”
“I was that child, looking at the images of models in films, magazines and fashion shows. This is what girls are brought up to believe, that to be thin is to be loved, adored, perfect. That's how they'll get a boyfriend - by becoming like a stick insect.”
“I was that child, looking at the images of models in films, magazines and fashion shows. This is what girls are brought up to believe, that to be thin is to be loved, adored, perfect. That's how they'll get a boyfriend - by becoming like a stick insect.”