Movie shot on mountain provokes nightmares

Kate Winslet is the type of person who takes her work home with her.

Sometimes, it even haunts her at night.

After filming “The Mountain Between Us” — in which she and Idris Elba play strangers stranded on an icy, desolate mountain range when their plane crashes — “I would have panic dreams about my children being trapped under ice,” she said.

The film is set to open Oct. 6 in theaters.

The logistics of the movie, filmed in the mountains of western Canada, were also very demanding.

“We would fly up in helicopters to work every day,” she said. “We were very, very high up (about 10,000 feet) and very, very cold (36 degrees below zero).”

For Winslet, though, the conditions were the appeal.

“There’s a certain sense of satisfaction after having had three children and being 41 years old, and actually feeling probably fitter and stronger than ever,” she said. “It was like, I can put some of that physical strength to good use.”

“The Mountain Between Us” isn’t the only film Winslet has been working on. She’s also starring in the Woody Allen film “Wonder Wheel” set in 1950s Coney Island. Her character is caught in an unfulfilling marriage and a dead-end job as a waitress. Enter mobsters, and Justin Timberlake as a charismatic lifeguard.

“It’s a character who really, truly, not just unravels but becomes so utterly undone by what happens to her during the course of the story,” Winslet said.

From her home on the south coast of England, Winslet spoke recently by phone about the upcoming films and her career.

Why pick an endurance test such as “Mountain Between Us”?

I’m much more taken by an extreme set of circumstances than an easy, comfortable route. I like a challenge, and it’s been a long time since I’ve done a film that required such a level of physical exertion and stamina and commitment — and also overcoming a certain degree of fear every single day. Plus, I’m a much more cold than hot sort of person. If a script says “It’s a sweltering hot day on a beach in Tahiti,” I’m less interested.

What was scary about this?

We would go in to work, and there would be six different scenarios, based on whether the helicopters could fly that day, based on the weather — howling gale, a blizzard. It was bitterly cold. It would take me 45 minutes to dress in the morning, clever layers under those costumes, so we didn’t look like Michelin men. And then I would have heat packs stuck to me — three on my arms, a couple across my chest. They give out really fast when you’re at altitude. A couple of moments, we would lose the feelings in our toes and have to stop for half an hour, and someone would put their gloves on our feet. We were in full survival mode.

Still, I bet a lot of people would be thrilled to be stranded on a mountain with Idris Elba.

I could think of worse people to be trapped with. I haven’t worked with him before. I was really grabbed by the huge challenge of putting two actors on screen for the entire length of a movie. I remember thinking, “Oh, my God, we’ve got to keep this interesting; otherwise, we’re doomed.” I think it was really good that we didn’t know each other — we discovered a lot about the other person. We got quite good at reading what the other person was thinking and needing — hot packs and hidden candy supplies.

Do you prefer playing strong people facing a vulnerable moment or vulnerable people finding strength?

I like characters who are completely unafraid of showing all their flaws. I think often people associate me with strong characters who are daring and reckless. But it’s very interesting to play a character who actually is vulnerable. I’m a very open-book. I don’t believe in hiding emotion.

When I read the Woody Allen script, I thought, “Oh my God, I can’t do this.” I read the script sitting on the staircase in my house, and didn’t move until I finished reading. I just sat on the staircase for an hour, in complete shock and panic. But that’s the best feeling because sheer terror sometimes is the greatest challenge of all.

What was the catalyst to get you from sheer terror to playing the part?

Here’s the catalyst: I probably wasn’t going to get another go-round with Woody Allen, so it’s now or never. And it was an extraordinary part that I could not believe he was asking me to play, so just the flattery of being offered the role was enough. The only reason I wouldn’t have done it would have been fear, and that is no way to live a life, man. Plus I knew my parents would be incredibly proud of me working with Woody Allen.

My mother passed away in May. Every day I would call her on the way home from the set, and she wanted to know absolutely everything about the day. It was a really big part of the last few months of her life. I feel grateful that I did it.

You have been acting since your teens. When you were starting out, did you think much about career longevity?

I very much thought about that, probably do still. You’re only as good as your last movie. When I started, I couldn’t believe I was really being cast until four or five movies in, and even then I couldn’t quite believe it. I was very much aware of watching young actresses come and go. I just have always felt that you have to dig deep and work hard. And I see it as real work. I don’t leave anything to chance. In terms of longevity, I always hope to be invited back — because I love it.