Close Up March 18

FILM INTERVIEW
Kate Winslet
The Oscar winner on Woody Allen, Justin Timberlake and advice from her daughter.
Kate Winslet adds to a long and illustrious CV
this month in the Woody Allen film Wonder
Wheel. She plays a former film actress in the
1950’s struggling with life after fame, working
as a waitress in Colney Island who has her sights set on
a good looking young lifeguard (Justin Timberlake).
For many, working with veteran film maker is a dream
come true, and Winslet is no exception. “Working
with Woody, I mean how long have you got?” she
says at a Q&A for the film. “It’s both terrifying and
completely exhilarating. From the moment I read
the script I felt that way, terrified and exhilarated.”
Of course, it wasn’t certain that the Titanic star would
play the role, given that she herself didn’t think she
could play it. “Actually when I did first read it, I remember
feeling terribly disappointed, because I thought there’s
just no way that I’m ever going to get to play this part, and
someone else was going to have to do it because it was
just too difficult” she says. “It was just a terrible shame
that there was going to be this terrible moment where I
was going to have to watch this other actress play Ginny.”
Luckily, she got some tough love when approaching
her family about the role. “I looked my husband in
the eye and said ‘It’s absolutely brilliant, but I just
can’t do it’” she recalls. “Then, my daughter walked
past and said ‘for f***s sake, get over yourself!’”
Many great actresses, from Diane Keaton to Cate
Blanchett to Scarlett Johansson, have starred in lead
roles for Allen, and Winslet certainly felt the weight of
history. “I felt proud to join a long list of extraordinary
actresses who have played leading roles for him, and that
sense of responsibility was quite present in me too” she
says. “I just had the feeling of ‘I just can’t F*** this up!’”
From the moment I read
the script I felt that way,
terrified and exhilarated.
While she enjoyed a good deal of respect from her
director, the same can’t be said for her co-stars. As
well as mistaking actor Jim Belushi for his dead brother
John, the 82-year-old New Yorker didn’t seem to be
familiar with global superstar cast member Justin
Timberlake. “I actually don’t think he knew who he was
at all!” she laughs.
Wonder Wheel is released 9th March.
74