Kate Winslet: On the awards hunt

24 January 2009

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"If you do a film about the Holocaust, you're guaranteed an Oscar," insisted Kate Winslet as an exaggerated version of herself in Ricky Gervais' hit UK comedy series 'Extras'. "'Schindler's bloody List', 'The Pianist'... Oscars coming out of their a**e!

"I've been nominated four times, never won. The whole world is going, 'Why hasn't Winslet won one?'."

Proving life really does imitate art, it seems Academy Awards voters were asking themselves that very question when they once again nominated her for Best Actress for her role in Holocaust drama 'The Reader'.

Kate's impressive history of award nominations - she has now been nominated for an Oscar six times, earning her fifth for 'Little Children' and becoming the youngest actress to do so at age 31- are finally showing fruition across the board.

After being nominated seven times, the actress kick started a inevitably fruitful 2009 by finally scooping a pair of Golden Globes for her roles in both 'The Reader' and 'Revolutionary Road' - Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress respectively.

However, it was her gushing performance at the ceremony itself which attracted the most media attention.

"Some people apparently haven't been very nice about it," revealed Kate of her tearful acceptance speech. "But luckily I've been in America where they've said very nice things."

In an effort to avoid a repeat of the melodramatic performance, Kate has vowed to put pen to paper in the off chance she might be back on the stage at the upcoming BAFTAs after doubling her chances of winning with two Best Actress nominations. She added: "Well, clearly, I should prepare a speech this time.."

I'm talking about him so much at the moment

Kate’s career has come full circle since her notable role in 1997 blockbuster ‘Titanic’. After boosting her fame as one half of what is arguably cinema’s best-loved on-screen couple alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate can once again be seen walking side-by-side with her now-close friend on the red carpet after the pair reunited for ‘Revolutionary Road’.

However, this time round it seems Hollywood megastar Leonardo has been left standing in the shadow of the English rose .. just don’t tell Kate that. "Please don't call me a movie star," the mother-of-two insists, echoing her consistent sentiment over the years she is just a ‘normal’ person. "I don't feel like a movie star in my life at all, and I don't particularly think I behave like one. I don't have my own plane. I don't have a chef or a trainer.

"To me, you're a movie star only during the time when you're at the Academy Awards or at an important glamorous event. It's very much a hat that you wear, and as soon as the event's over, the hat comes off. "I'm back to being me and being mummy, and that's my priority."

Leonardo agreed that Kate .. who was born and raised in the modest British town of Reading, where her director husband Sam Mendes is also from .. has never been tainted by the temptations of a showbiz lifestyle.

He said: "She has not changed at all. She's one of the most real people I've ever met and such a great friend. We've been support mechanisms for each other for a long period of time and will continue to be." Those kind words from heartthrob Leo are certainly one in the eye for the bullies who taunted Kate during her adolescent years for being overweight and having "big feet".

Now one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, Kate, 33, began her career in a Sugar Puffs cereal commercial during her drama school years in England. She later landed her first major acting job in TV with a part in children’s science fiction series ‘Dark Season’ -written by current ‘Doctor Who’ scribe Russell T. Davies - and later BBC medical drama ‘Casualty’.

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