Kate Winslet Admits Becoming Famous After 'Titanic' Was 'Horrible': 'My Life Was So Unpleasant'

Starring in one of the world's most well-known films wasn't all it was cracked up to be for Kate Winslet.

In a new interview, the actress admitted her life changed for the worse after Titanic turned her into an overnight sensation.

"I felt like I had to look a certain way, or be a certain thing, and because media intrusion was so significant at that time, my life was quite unpleasant," the British beauty shared of being only 22 when the movie hit theaters in 1997.

"Journalists would always say, ‘After Titanic, you could have done anything and yet you chose to do these small things’ ... and I was like, ‘Yeah, you bet your f------’ life I did! Because, guess what, being famous was horrible,’" she confessed.

"I was grateful, of course," the Oscar winner, 48, acknowledged. "I was in my early 20s, and I was able to get a flat. But I didn’t want to be followed literally feeding the ducks."

She's since grown out of that feeling, noting that "famous" is "such a ridiculous word!"

"I wear it really lightly. It’s not a burden, any of it," she noted. "[Titanic] continues to bring people huge amounts of joy. The only time I am like, ‘Oh god, hide’, is if we are on a boat somewhere."

Winslet also touched on her bond with costar Leonardo DiCaprio, sharing, "I think when you experience something so seismic, so young ... we really went through that together."

"I did think to myself beforehand, it’s going to be hard, because you know, what if I really fancy him?" she admitted in another interview of what she thought of the Hollywood hunk before they became good friends. "And I so thought I was going to, because he is absolutely gorgeous."

"I do feel so grateful for that friendship, and honestly it is like family and one of those rare Hollywood friendships that I feel very, very blessed to have," Winslet explained. "I think they [everyone] sort of wish there was like a soap opera version of the story where actually Jack and Rose really did end up together, you know, but no."

The duo linked up again for 2008's Revolutionary Road, which was directed by her then-husband Sam Mendes.

She said of filming intimate scenes with DiCaprio, "It was the element of, ‘OK my husband is over there.’ That was a bit weird.'

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Net-a-porter talked to Winslet about becoming famous.