Breaking into Hollywood must be intimidating for almost every young actor, but it becomes even more overwhelming when one of your first projects is alongside some of the biggest names in the industry.
Long before she became an Academy Award-winning star herself, Kate Winslet was just a nervous 19-year-old trying to find her footing in the industry. That’s when she was cast in ‘Sense and Sensibility’ by Ang Lee, and her crippling self-doubt left her terrified of meeting the legendary Alan Rickman.
Why Kate Winslet Went “Weak At The Knees” After Meeting Alan Rickman
When Kate Winslet joined the cast of ‘Sense and Sensibility’, she suddenly found herself working with some of the industry’s finest actors. Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman were already respected veterans, while Winslet was only starting out. But it was Rickman who left the strongest first impression on her.
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Speaking at the premiere of ‘A Little Chaos’ in 2014, as reported by The Standard, she opened up about her experience: “When I first met Alan I was absolutely terrified. I was 19, he was Alan Rickman, and he’s got that voice.” She admitted, “I remember meeting him in the hair and makeup trailer and thinking, ‘I’m going to die. He thinks I’m rubbish. Why am I here?’”
Years later, Winslet elaborated on the memory on The Kelly Clarkson Show. She explained why Rickman’s mere presence was enough to leave her terrified.
“Alan Rickman walked in, and he just said, ‘Hello.’ He looked down at me… somehow he seemed like a giant.” She remembered, “I do remember going weak at the knees… thinking, just don’t fall down, don’t fall down.”
With that iconic voice and his portrayal of some of cinema’s biggest villains, it is no surprise that Winslet was completely overwhelmed. But their friendship came full circle nearly two decades later when Rickman directed Winslet in ‘A Little Chaos’. The actor she once believed thought her “rubbish” ultimately became one of the colleagues she admired the most.
Kate Winslet Had To Learn To Silence Her Doubts Because Of ‘Sense And Sensibility’
Rickman wasn’t the only one making Kate Winslet nervous during ‘Sense and Sensibility’. Looking back, she admits that she spent most of the time thinking she was cast by mistake. Speaking with Kelly Clarkson, she recalled: “I remember day one of that shoot thinking, what am I doing here?” She continued, “They’ve definitely… read the wrong name on the list. They didn’t mean to cast me at all. They just phoned the wrong person, and they’re too embarrassed to tell me that they’ve made a mistake.“
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It was hard for her to genuinely accept that she earned the role on her own merit. But instead of confirming her worst fear, the cast she was so intimidated by became her unexpected support system.
“I learned so much. Not just about the acting, but about how to behave on a film set, how to be prepared, how to conduct yourself,” she said. “I really, really learned that on that film from those wonderful people; I was very lucky”.
Those lessons have shaped her career in Hollywood today. Looking back, Winslet credits those early experiences for helping her overcome her insecurities. And today, she has gone from an actress who believed she accidentally wandered onto the wrong film set to a culture-defining global star.
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