‘I Was Bullied’
Actress Kate Winslet showed off toned arms and legs in a dazzling flared dress as she walked the red carpet at a recent special screening of The Dressmaker in
NYC. “She looked amazing,” says a witness. “She’s in great shape!”
The British actress, 41, has never been better. “I feel just really happy; I physically feel very strong, stronger than ever,” says Kate, who overcame a difficult childhood to become one of the most celebrated actresses of her generation. “I was quite stocky as a child,” Kate confides. “I was teased for how I looked.”
Born into a family of struggling actors, Kate began working in commercials at age 12 while attending a school for performing arts. “I had girls who were envious of me because I was acting [professionally] a little bit as a teenager,” she explains. Some other girls looked down on Kate’s background. “There was a class divide — most of Kate’s classmates came from families with more money,” says a friend.
Kate’s teachers, as well as classmates, also placed a priority on appearance over talent — which led to more insecurity. She remembers one acting coach advising her to seek out “fat girl” roles. “I never heard positive reinforcement about body image from any female
in my life. I only heard negatives,” Kate admits about the bullying. “That’s very damaging because then you’re programmed as a young woman to immediately scrutinize yourself and how you look.”
She persevered by becoming “competitive, even defiant,” says another friend. “This is my revenge: This lovely career I have been blessed with, and healthy children,” says the Oscar-winning beauty and mother to daughter Mia, 15, and sons Joe, 12, and Bear, 2. “You know, I have a really happy life. To me, it’s like, ‘Well, look at me now, girls.’ ” — Louise A. Barile
THE OSCAR WINNER SURVIVED TAUNTS AND RIDICULE AS A TEENAGER
GROWING PAINS