Kate Winslet Shares What Mare Of Easttown Scene She Insisted On Keeping
Kate Winslet wanted to stay as true to her character as possible when playing Mare Sheehan in the HBO drama "Mare of Easttown." In the limited series, Winslet portrays a detective who is trying to solve a brutal murder in a small Pennsylvania town, all while her own life unravels.
Winslet noted that this isn't a glamorous role, but the look made sense for her character. As she revealed to The New York Times on May 31, "Listen, I hope that in playing Mare as a middle-aged woman — I will be 46 in October — I guess that's why people have connected with this character in the way that they have done because there are clearly no filters." The "Titanic" star continued that while it may be surprising for some to see her this way, she believes it's why Mare is realistic and can relate to viewers. Winslet explained, "She's a fully-functioning, flawed woman with a body and a face that moves in a way that is synonymous with her age and her life and where she comes from." She added, "I think we're starved of that a bit."
Winslet did tell Emmy Magazine (via People) that she had to be in shape for the role, "not because we necessarily have to see a fit body," but because she had to "physically do a lot of tackling and fighting and arresting people." But she also made sure to tell her director to keep this specific shot in.
Kate Winslet wouldn't let the director cut out her 'belly bulge'
While many actors would probably want their imperfections edited out of their projects, Kate Winslet insisted on keeping her appearance realistic while making "Mare of Easttown." Winslet revealed to The New York Times that when director Craig Zobel told her he'd cut out "a bulgy bit of belly" in her sex scene with co-star Guy Pearce, she instead insisted he keep it in, telling him, "Don't you dare."
In addition to not cutting out unflattering angles, Winslet said they made sure to not cover her sunspots or imperfections on her face for the show. She said, "We're so used to seeing this stuff airbrushed away." They even kept the wardrobe true to Mare instead of what would look best. Winslet explained, "Whenever we'd find something unflattering, we'd be jumping up and down like, 'Yes! We're wearing this.'"
And Winslet didn't want to just keep it real just for the show but for the promo, as well. In fact, she sent back the show's poster because she felt it was too retouched, telling The NYT: "I'm like 'Guys, I know how many lines I have by the side of my eye, please put them all back.'" She further expressed her frustration with over-editing, saying, "We've stopped learning how to love those [imperfect] faces because we keep covering them up with filters."
Luckily, we can always count on Winslet to stay true to herself and the characters she plays.