Kate Elizabeth Winslet, formally styled Mrs. Edward Abel Smith CBE (/ˈwɪnzlət/; born 5 October 1975), is an acclaimed English actress known for portraying complex, headstrong women in independent films and period dramas. Her impressive list of accolades includes an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. Named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in both 2009 and 2021, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2012.
Winslet trained in drama at the Redroofs Theatre School and made her screen debut at age 15 in the television series Dark Season (1991). She garnered critical acclaim with her film debut in Heavenly Creatures (1994), and achieved further recognition with Sense and Sensibility (1995), which earned her a BAFTA Award and her first Academy Award nomination. Her global breakthrough came with the role of Rose DeWitt in Titanic (1997), then the highest-grossing film of all time. Rather than pursue mainstream blockbusters, Winslet focused on critically lauded period dramas such as Quills (2000) and Iris (2001), solidifying her reputation for depth and versatility.
A major turning point came with her contemporary role in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). Winslet continued to earn acclaim with films like Finding Neverland (2004), Little Children (2006), The Holiday (2006), Revolutionary Road (2008), and The Reader (2008), for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress. She earned additional accolades for Steve Jobs (2015), and received two Emmy Awards for her roles in Mildred Pierce (2011) and Mare of Easttown (2021). In 2022, she starred in and produced the BAFTA-winning drama I Am Ruth, and appeared in Avatar: The Way of Water. Beyond acting, Winslet won a Grammy Award for audiobook narration, released the song “What If,” and co-founded the Golden Hat Foundation to support autism awareness. She is married to businessman Edward Abel Smith and is the mother of three children, including actress Mia Threapleton.
