The “Titanic” star has a pithy response to critics of her younger self.

Kate Winslet says she was once told by drama teacher to ‘settle for the fat girl parts’

The "Titanic" star has a pithy response to critics of her younger self.

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

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December 23, 2025 4:48 p.m. ET

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Kate Winslet attends a screening of 'Goodbye June'. Credit:

Stephanie Augello/Getty

Kate Winslet can't un-hear what adults said about her body in her younger years.

The actress recently recalled one specific instance during an appearance on BBC Radio 4 show *Desert Island Discs. *

"I was a little bit stocky," Winslet said on the radio show, according to Deadline. "When I did start taking it much more seriously and got a child agent I really remember vividly a drama teacher … and she said to me, 'Well, darling, you’ll have a career if you're ready to settle for the fat girl parts.'"

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The Oscar winner followed up the memory with a nod to her success. "Look at me now,” Winslet said, adding, "It's appalling the things people say to children."**

Winslet has often been open about the body-shaming and intense media scrutiny she received early in her career, particularly following the success of *Titanic. *

In a December 2024 interview with *60 Minutes*, the actress was shown clips of people commenting on her body in the James Cameron classic she starred in with Leonardo DiCaprio.**

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"It was absolutely appalling," Winslet commented on the reel of people talking about her 22-year-old self's dress size. "What kind of a person must they be to do something like that to a young actress who's just trying to figure it out?"

Winslet said she since had the chance to confront one of her critics.

Kate Winslet as Rose in "Titanic".

CBS via Getty Images

"I did get face-to-face. I let them have it. I said 'I hope this haunts you,'" Winslet said tearfully. "It was a great moment because it wasn't just for me, it was for all those people who were subjected to that level of harassment. It was horrific, it was really bad."**

In the BBC interview, the actress recalled being "terrified to go to sleep" because of the paparazzi's obsession with her. "It was horrific. There were people tapping my phone. They were just everywhere. And I was just on my own," she said.

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