Kate Winslet nearly missed out on her Oscar-nominated turn in The Reader - as movie bosses feared she was too busy filming Revolutionary Road to accept the role.
Film mogul Harvey Weinstein, whose company was behind the critically acclaimed picture, has revealed producers spoke to three other actresses before turning to Winslet.
Nicole Kidman was originally signed to the movie, but was forced to quit after she fell pregnant with her daughter, Sunday Rose, who was born last year (08).
Producers then turned to Marion Cotillard and Naomi Watts, before director Stephen Daldry suggested Winslet for the lead.
Weinstein says, "Before Kate came onboard, Anthony Minghella, myself and (producer) Scott Rudin had a conversation.
"I said 'Scott, she’s got Revolutionary Road. I think we should have insurance.'
"I had Marion Cotillard, the French actress, go to Germany and shoot a screen test. She was great. Then we contacted Naomi Watts. She’s available. Then we redid the conversation and said these people are available.
"(But) Stephen Daldry wanted to work with Kate."
Winslet has already won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award for her performance as a concentration camp guard in The Reader and last night finally got her hands on an Oscar for her performance.
Meanwhile in other news Hollywood actress Kate Winslet fears she is getting a bad reputation for stripping off in her movies - and has vowed never to bare all on the big-screen again.
The British star is not afraid of going nude in front of the cameras - she has flashed the flesh in more than 10 films, including Titanic, Hamlet, and 2008's The Reader.
But she fears getting a reputation for baring all - and the Golden Globe winning star admits she is unlikely to strip off for a role again.
She tells Time magazine, "I think I won't. I can't keep getting away with it, and I don't want to become 'that actress who always gets her kit off'."
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