Actress Kate Winslet has opened up about her teenage years, revealing that some of her “first intimate experiences” were with girls. In a candid discussion on the Team Deakins podcast, Winslet shared her reflections on the curiosity she felt during her late teens and how it connected to her role in the 1994 film Heavenly Creatures.
During the podcast, Winslet disclosed, “I’ll share something I’ve never shared before. Some of my first intimate experiences as a young teen were actually with girls.” She acknowledged that while she had kissed both girls and boys, her understanding of relationships was still developing at that time. Winslet expressed a deep connection to the intense bond portrayed in Heavenly Creatures, which centers on the obsessive relationship between two teenage girls that culminates in tragedy.
“I was so immediately sucked into the vortex of that world they were in that obviously became horrendously damaging to both of them,” Winslet explained. The film’s plot involves the two characters committing murder, believing it was necessary to be together. Winslet noted, “I mean, they murdered someone because they truly believed that that person was preventing them from being together.” While she could not fully grasp the extreme actions taken by the characters, she commented on the vulnerability of young minds influenced by strong connections.
Filming Heavenly Creatures at the age of 17 significantly impacted Winslet’s life. She remarked, “I know I came back a different person, because I’d evolved so much in my learning and life experience and being in that wonderful country.”
Beyond her reflections on her early experiences, Winslet also discussed her relationship with fame, which she finds challenging. “I’d much rather be in the shadows of the trees just making art with friends and having a great time that way,” she stated. Winslet admitted to feeling at odds with the exposure that comes with her career, suggesting that fame found her rather than the other way around. “I actually didn’t go searching for it, not in an ambitious way,” she added.
Winslet, who has three children—daughter Mia Honey Threapleton with ex-husband Jim Threapleton, son Joe Alfie Mendes with second husband Sam Mendes, and son Bear Blaze Winslet with her current partner Edward Abel Smith—continues to navigate the complexities of her career while reflecting on her formative years.
Her openness about her past and the challenges of fame resonates with many, offering a glimpse into the life of a woman who has experienced both the joys and burdens of public life.
