With seven Oscar nods—and one win—as well as countless BAFTAs, Golden Globes, Emmys and even a Grammy, Kate Winslet has been one of Hollywood’s most formidable and acclaimed performers for decades. But following the behemoth success of Titanic back in the thin-obsessed late ’90s, the talented actress was harshly reduced both by the public and the press to a number on a scale. Now, she’s recalling her struggles to stay thin and also shared to the recent trend involving Ozempic.
Kate Winslet has long been candid about struggling with her own body image as a young actress in the film industry. This includes the mean-spirited advice a drama teacher gave her when she was only a teen and how the increased scrutiny on her life and looks made being famous “horrible.” The now-48-year-old British star — who can currently be seen leading HBO’s new (reviewed) political satire miniseries The Regime — disclosed to The New York Times Magazine that she struggled with an eating disorder amid her Titanic success:
I never told anyone about it. Because guess what—people in the world around you go: ‘Hey, you look great! You lost weight! So even the compliment about looking good is connected to weight. And that is one thing I will not let people talk about. If they do, I pull them up straight away.
She also touched on the rise of Ozempic in Hollywood. This comes as many folks in showbiz and elsewhere have apparently opted for the weekly semaglutide injections (initially conceived to treat those dealing with type 2 diabetes) for weight-loss purposes. Kelly Clarkson has been rumored to have used it and, amid Kyle Richards’ weight loss she was also linked to the prescription drug. Recently, Oprah Winfrey stepped down from her WeightWatchers role after admitting to being a regular user of it.
Despite the drug’s uptick in public use in the past year, Kate Winslet was confused about exactly what Ozempic entailed and was seemingly horrified when writer Susan Dominus explained how the medication was being used:
I actually don’t know what Ozempic is. All I know is that it’s some pill that people are taking or something like that. …But what is it? Oh, my God. This sounds terrible. Let’s eat some more things!
Over the years, the acclaimed actress has reportedly received bad treatment in the press and on film sets. Nevertheless, the Sense and Sensibility star told the publication that she deliberately maintained a professional, rolls-with-the-punches reputation over the years:
I was already experiencing huge amounts of judgment, persecution, all this bullying. People can call me fat. They can call me what they want. But they certainly cannot say that I complained and I behaved badly. Over my dead body.
Of course, when it comes to a generational acting talent like Kate Winslet, fans would likely take her however she is. One hopes she continues to feel good in her own skin as time goes on. You can see the ever-resilient performer as Chancellor Elena “Lenny” Vernham on The Regime on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO or you can stream the episodes with a Max subscription.