Kate Winslet says newfound fame after ‘Titanic’ was “horrible”

It seems Kate Winslet didn’t always enjoy her newfound fame after her star-making turn in Titanic.

In an interview with Porter Magazine, Winslet said it was frustrating to be suddenly thrust into the spotlight after the iconic film was released in 1997.

“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,” Winslet said.

She went on to explain why she chose smaller projects after making the blockbuster disaster epic.

“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.’ I was grateful, of course. I was in my early twenties, and I was able to get a flat. But I didn’t want to be followed literally feeding the ducks.”

Asked if her relationship to fame has changed now, Winslet said, “Oh, it’s such a ridiculous word!”

“I wear it really lightly,” Winslet continued. “It’s not a burden, any of it. [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.”