THAT’S WHEN GOOD CO-STARS BECOME GOOD FRIENDS!
Neighbours fan Kate has been crushing on Guy since she was a girl
Guy Pearce is heading back to Neighbours for its last-ever episode – and he’s bringing along a nod to his “lucky charm” Kate Winslet!
On his return to Ramsay Street, the Aussie actor, 54, plans on using Kate’s most famous character’s name, Rose from Titanic, for his onscreen wife’s name in a special tribute to his old pal, who has had a crush on Guy since she was 11.
Last week, Guy spoke about his long-time friendship with Kate, 46 – with whom he shared several steamy romps in the 2011 drama Mildred Pierce
– and how she’s just as excited about his return as he is.
“Kate Winslet is a big fan of Neighbours,” he revealed. “She’s literally wetting herself that I’m back on the show. She was besotted with Mike [Young, his character] back in the day, so when I told her I was coming back to do the show, she said, ‘Right, I have to be there. I’m coming too!’”
KATE’S SOAP ‘DEBUT’
Unfortunately, Kate’s schedule made it impossible, but friends say the actress is “tickled pink” to go down in history as the inspiration for Mike’s wife Rose – after he vetoed the name Kate because his ex-wife is called Kate Mestitz.
“That’s a little personal in my life, so maybe let’s not call her Kate,” explains Guy. “So she’s called Rose, which was Kate’s character on Titanic. So Winslet is kind of here in spirit.”
Following their critically acclaimed collaboration in Mildred Pierce, Guy and Kate paired up again for last year’s hit crime drama Mare Of Easttown, where the Oscarwinning actress would serenade him with the Aussie soap’s iconic theme tune on the Philadelphia set.
“Kate was a fan of Neighbours when she was 11,” Guy revealed at the time. “She likes to sing the Neighbours theme to me quite regularly.”
Indeed, Kate, who is married to Edward Abel Smith, formerly known as Ned RocknRoll, admitted in 2011 that she sang the tune to calm them both down after a steamy sex scene in Mildred.
“Bless Guy, he was very good about it and just sort of giggled,” she quipped.
“I was so in love with Mike from Neighbours that I’d fake illness to stay off school and watch the 1.25pm edition.”
Friends say the couple’s friendship is even more fun since Guy and his partner, Game Of Thrones star Carice van Houten, had son Monte in 2016 – almost three years after Kate gave birth to her third child, son Bear.
“She was thrilled to welcome
him into the club and her sense of humour has helped him keep it together during those early sleepless days,” one pal tells.
“She always told him he’d make a great dad and she was right. The fact Guy openly admits how tough it can be shows how important it is for him to be a good father.”