Kate Winslet Opened up About Having Impostor Syndrome: ‘I’m Rubbish and Everyone Is Going To See It’
Kate Winslet was told that she would never make it as an actor. Because of her unconventional beauty, Winslet had to fight hard to get to where she is today. Now, with over 7 Oscar nominations under her belt, one would think that Winslet would finally feel accomplished. But according to the actor, she still feels like a fraud.
Peers laughed at Kate Winslet for trying to become an actor
Throughout childhood, Winslet was bullied by her peers for wanting to become an actor. And when she grew up, casting agents repeatedly told her that she wasn’t the right fit.
“I had been bullied at school,” Winslet confessed (via Vanity fair.) “They called me Blubber. Teased me for wanting to act. Locked me in the cupboard. Laughed at me.”
“I wasn’t the prettiest,” she went on to say. “I was even told that I might be lucky in my acting if I was happy to settle for the fat-girl parts. (Casting agents) would say, ‘You’re just not what we’re looking for, Kate.’ I’d hear that a lot.”
Kate Winslet opened up about having impostor syndrome
While Winslet is regarded as one of Hollywood’s most talented actors, she still deals with insecurities and often feels like a “fraud.”
“Over the years, the stakes have become higher for me. Sometimes I wake up in the morning before going off to a shoot, and I think I can’t do this. I’m a fraud,'” Winslet told The Mirror. “What people really think of me is something I remain blissfully unaware of most of the time. I love acting, and all I ever try to do is my best. But even now, I always dread those emotional scenes. I’m there thinking, ‘Oh my God, I’m rubbish, and everyone is going to see it. They’ve cast the wrong person.’ But I have come to realize that those nerves are all part of the process for me.”
Kate Winslet fought hard to become a Hollywood actor
Despite all of the people who said she couldn’t do it, Winslet managed to fight back from all the nay-sayers. “I didn’t lock myself away and give up on my dream,” said Winslet. “I fought back and had to ignore the negative comments.”
She adds that she chose to “rise above it all,” and “had to work hard” while believing in herself.
“You have to be indestructible to do what you love and believe that you are worth it,” said Winslet. “And sometimes that’s the hardest part.”
Kate Winslet pushed James Cameron into casting her in ‘Titanic’
Winslet fought tooth and nail to become a star. She worked hard to get the role of Rose in Titanic, which eventually led to her stardom.
“One day, I was cast as Rose in Titanic,” Winslet said. “The most unlikely candidate—Kate from the sandwich shop in Reading—suddenly acting in one of the biggest movies ever made! You can be from anywhere, and you can do anything, believe it. It is possible to overcome your fears.”
