Kate Winslet Reveals the Actress Who Changed Her Craft

Kate Winslet, a fixture in British and international cinema for over thirty years, has long been celebrated for her nuanced performances and ability to inhabit a wide range of characters. Despite her own status as one of the most respected actresses of her generation, Winslet has always been candid about those who influenced her journey. Among the many figures she credits, one stands out as a defining inspiration—an actress whose work left a lasting impression on Winslet’s own approach to her craft.

Discovering a New Standard of Authenticity

Winslet’s admiration centres on Jodie Foster’s role in Taxi Driver, a performance that, for her, redefined what it meant to be genuine on screen. Reflecting on her early experiences as a viewer, Winslet recalls being struck by Foster’s presence, which seemed to transcend traditional acting.

“I have to say it’s Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver, because she’s not acting,”

she explained.

“This is what inspired me so much, specifically from that performance, and specifically from Jodie; when I saw her onscreen when I was younger, I just couldn’t work out exactly what it was that she was doing, because it wasn’t, to my mind, what I had believed acting was. She wasn’t acting. She was just this person.”

Foster’s portrayal in the film is often cited as one of the most remarkable debuts by a young performer, earning her an Academy Award nomination and setting a new benchmark for authenticity. For Winslet, it was this sense of realness—of simply being, rather than performing—that became a guiding principle in her own career.

Shaping a Career in the Shadow of Greatness

Winslet’s own path has, in many ways, mirrored Foster’s. Both actresses achieved early acclaim, with Winslet’s breakthrough coming in Sense and Sensibility, which led to a series of collaborations with some of the most esteemed directors of their time. Each found themselves at the heart of films that would go on to win Best Picture at the Oscars—Foster in The Silence of the Lambs, Winslet in Titanic.

Despite their different beginnings, both have been recognised for their ability to bring a sense of truth to their roles. Foster’s early Oscar wins for The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs set a high bar, while Winslet’s own Academy Award for Revolutionary Road was seen by many as long overdue. Yet, it is the pursuit of authenticity, rather than accolades, that has defined their work.

From Admiration to Collaboration

Winslet’s respect for Foster’s approach to acting is rooted in the belief that the best performances are those where the audience forgets they are watching someone act.

“She wasn’t an actress,” Winslet said. “She was a real person who kept showing up. I kept seeing her in things, and that, for me, was a real penny-drop moment. I was like, ‘Well, that’s it,’ because it’s about being, isn’t it? It’s not about acting. The trick is to be it and not have them see that you’re ‘acting’ being it.”

In a twist of fate, the two eventually shared the screen in Roman Polanski’s dark comedy Carnage in 2011. Though their characters were at odds, the mutual respect between the actresses was unmistakable. Both have since continued to reinvent themselves, with Foster leading a recent series of a much-talked-about crime drama and Winslet earning critical praise for her roles in acclaimed television projects.