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It’s been about 25 years since Kate Winslet got the second of her seven nominations at the Oscars. That 1998 acting citation was for the British actress’ career-boosting portrayal of Rose Bukater opposite Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack Dawson in James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster film “Titanic,” which won 11 of the 14 categories it was nominated in—including the coveted best picture plum.
Kate finally won her first Oscar 11 years later for her indelible performance in Stephen Daldry’s “The Reader.”
So Kate joining the cast of “Avatar: The Way of Water,” the sequel to the highest-grossing film of all time “Avatar,” is particularly significant because it reunites the gifted actress with her visionary director.
In the first of “Avatar’s” four sequels, which opens in the Philippines on Wednesday, the 47-year-old Kate is cast as Ronal.
As the water-dwelling Na’vi warrior, she reluctantly welcomes the family of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) to her community after they’re forced to flee to a far-off Metkayina to protect the Omatikaya tribe on the moon Pandora from the oppressive RDA (Resources Development Administration) forces, led by a recombinant iteration of Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang).
At the global press conference for “The Way of Water” last Tuesday, Kate was asked what her expectations were upon joining the “Avatar” team.
“With the film being helmed by Jim, I have to say that I expected nothing but the absolute best of everything,” Kate readily answered. “The movie has precision. It’s thought through, and it’s thorough and meticulous. But the thing that pulled me in above everything else were the characters that Jim has created.”
Like Sigourney Weaver, Kate noted how well the director writes women characters in his productions. She explained, “Jim has always written for women… They’re characters who aren’t just strong. They’re leaders who lead with their heart, with integrity. They stand in their truth, and they own their power. They have physical power… and that is admirable.
“It was just so flattering to be included in all that. I was happy that Jim asked me because everybody knows he doesn’t suffer fools (laughs).
