Kate Winslet is one of Britain’s finest actors. For over thirty years, the actress has been at the forefront of cultural classics such as James Cameron’s Titanic, The Reader and the festive romcom, The Holiday. Read on to discover the 25 best Kate Winslet performances and where to stream them.
After her eye-catching debut in Heavenly Creatures, Winslet went on to garner early fame in her career for Emma Thompson’s adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. Alongside fellow British acting royalty, Thompson, Winslet portrayed Marianne Dashwood and won a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress as the less-sensible sister. It exceeded expectations to become one of the best Jane Austen adaptations of all time and grossed a sizable $135 million on a minuscule $16 million budget.
The actress went from strength to strength, swapping a period drama for the romantic disaster film, Titanic, which became the highest grossing film of all time after its release in 1997. Undeniably, Rose is one of Winslet’s best-known roles, for which she was nominated for Best Actress at the 1998 Academy Awards. It remains one of her greatest performances all time with a legacy rare for any film.
In the years that followed, Winslet proved the breadth of her talents in an array of different genre films, such as the science fiction drama Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the biographical fantasy, Finding Neverland and the romantic psycho-drama Little Children.
Every year, Winslet graces our TV screens as the somewhat weepy Iris in the festive romantic comedy, The Holiday, which remains a firm holiday Christmas favourite film since its release in 2006. It eclipsed its $85 budget easily and went onto worldwide success at the box office grossing over $205 million.
Over on the small-screen, the actress has been at the forefront of acclaimed limited series such as HBO’s crime drama, Mare of Easttown and the political miniseries, The Regime. Winslet’s filmography moves from comedy to drama with effortless ease, mirrored in her outstanding acting ability, which has led her to receive a Grammy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, 5 BAFTAs and five Golden Globes along with her Oscar for The Reader.
The critically acclaimed German-American romantic drama secured a nomination for Best Picture, alongside Winslet’s win, and boasted another steady income at the box office ($108 million) on a medium budget of $32 million.
In short, it’s difficult to distinguish the best performances within Winslet’s eclectic and outstanding filmography, as each title could be called her standout performance. Inevitably, for the timeless nature of the film, Titanic is at the forefront, followed by her critically acclaimed roles in the films above.
Even in a more recent role, such as Cameron’s Avatar sequel, Avatar: The Way of the Water, Winslet delivers an exceptional performance. Alongside the impressive motion capture, Winslet also broke regular action man Tom Cruise’s record, as she held her breath underwater for 7 minutes and 47 seconds, during production of this film.
With an excellent showcase of films to discover, here’s the best 25 Kate Winslet movies and TV series ranked and where to watch them.
