Kate Winslet says her post-'Titanic' fame was 'horrible': 'My life was quite unpleasant'

Kate Winslet's fame skyrocketed after starring in 1997's "Titanic," one of the top-grossing films in cinema history, but it came at a price.

"I felt like I had to look a certain way or be a certain thing, and because media intrusion was so significant at that time, my life was quite unpleasant," Winslet said of the frenzy to Porter in an article published Monday.

The 48-year-old actress said her career decisions after the film's release were often questioned because she opted to do smaller projects, but it was a conscious choice. "Being famous was horrible," she said.

The "Avatar: The Way of Water" star added that she was "grateful" to be able to afford her own apartment at 22, "But I didn’t want to be followed literally feeding the ducks."

These days, Winslet said she wears the badge of fame "really lightly" but doesn't consider it a burden.

"'Titanic'" continues to bring people huge amounts of joy," she reflected, jokingly adding, "The only time I am like, ‘Oh god, hide’, is if we are on a boat somewhere."

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Winslet previously discussed her discomfort with media attention after the "Titanic," including relentless comments about her weight.

"They were so mean. I wasn’t even fat," she said on the "Happy, Sad, Confused" podcast in December 2022.

Winslet added that she would have called out the bullying if she could go back in time. "I would have responded, I would have said, 'Don’t you dare treat me like this. I’m a young woman, my body is changing, I’m figuring it out, I’m deeply insecure, I’m terrified, don’t make this any harder than it already is.’ That’s bullying and actually borderline abusive.'"