Smriti Sneh
One is transported to the Titanic when they hear the name, Kate Winslet. The portrait of a woman who is used to a luxurious lifestyle comes to mind, the image of an English ‘Rose’. That view is far from the truth, according to the Ammonite star. No wonder she jumped at the opportunity of playing a small-town detective in the HBO show Mare of Easttown. But the role came with its own fair share of challenges. One of them – the task of being physically fit.
Kate Winslet knew that this role was meant for her
Kate Winslet was first offered the opportunity of starring in the Mare of Easttown back in 2018. And it was love at ‘first read’ for the I Am… star. Winslet said of the role,
“It struck such a chord with me because, contrary to popular belief, I’m not an English Rose at all.”
She knew she had to take the role. And she did. Keeping it under wraps ever since she bagged it in 2018, the Blackbird star had got to get to prepare for the character. And it wasn’t as easy as she thought it would be.
Not an easy task for Kate Winslet
Playing Mare forced The Reader star to make a lot of adaptations. The 47-year-old had to step into the shoes of a woman whose son had committed suicide, a task which took a serious toll on her mental health. But that wasn’t all.
Essaying the role of Mare required her to step in the shoes of a physically fit detective, one who had to do a lot of chasing (call it an occupational hazard). The Revolutionary Road star would have a hard time keeping herself in shape for these sequences.
On why Kate Winslet had to remain fit
The Sense and Sensibility star knew that Mare needs to be a strong one. She would have to measure up to the task of playing an active detective, even though her fitness was way beyond its peak. She would have to take down men who could be labeled as physically superior to her. She said,
“I had to stay very fit. Not because we necessarily have to see a fit body, but because I do have to do a lot of running. I had to physically do a lot of tackling and fighting and arresting people, you know, taking huge grown men down to the ground.”
Taking into account the success the show has had, especially the fact that she bagged her 2nd Emmy for this role, she would have no qualms about that extra push on her part.
Source: The Things
