Oscar winner Kate Winslet is gearing up for an exciting visit to Australia this October to promote her latest film, Lee.
The highly anticipated biopic sees Winslet portraying the remarkable model-turned-WWII-photographer Lee Miller, a role that promises to showcase the English actress’s exceptional talent and versatility.
Winslet, 47, will not be making the journey alone.
She will be accompanied by her producing partner Kate Solomon and Anthony Penrose, the son of the legendary American war correspondent Lee Miller.
Their presence is expected to add a personal and poignant touch to the promotional tour, as the film is based on Antony Penrose’s 1985 biography, The Lives of Lee Miller.
Winslet’s visit to Australia is expected to include a series of promotional events, press conferences, and possibly a few surprises for her fans.
This visit marks Winslet’s return to Australia after nearly a decade.
She was last in the country in 2014, filming The Dressmaker alongside an all-star cast including Liam Hemsworth, Judy Davis, and Hugo Weaving.
Oscar winner Kate Winslet is gearing up for an exciting visit to Australia in October to promote her latest film, Lee
The 47-year-old actress plays model-turned-WWII-photographer Lee Miller in the biopic, adapted from 1985 biography The Lives of Lee Miller by Antony Penrose
Fans are eagerly anticipating her return, excited to see one of Hollywood’s finest gracing Australian shores once more.
Lee boasts an impressive ensemble cast featuring the likes of Andy Samberg, Alexander Skarsgård, Marion Cotillard, Josh O’Connor, Andrea Riseborough, and Noémie Merlant.
The biopic delves into the extraordinary life of Lee Miller, a trailblazing figure who transitioned from a glamorous model to a fearless WWII photographer.
Miller’s story is one of courage, resilience, and transformation, themes that resonate deeply in today’s world.
Winslet’s portrayal of Miller is anticipated to be a powerful and moving depiction, capturing the essence of a woman who defied conventions and made her mark in history.
The news follows reports the star went above and beyond to make sure she could finish her new film Lee, including paying crew salaries herself.
Winslet and producer Solomon opened up about the film to Vogue (the outlet the real Miller photographed for during the war), where it was revealed that Winslet – who hit the red carpet for Vogue World last week – not only paid for crew salaries but even fought through injuries.
Winslet went above and beyond to make sure she could finish her new film Lee, including paying crew salaries herself
The first day on set, Winslet was rehearsing a sequence where Lee was running down the streets of the French city Saint-Malo while it was under bombardment in 1944, when she slipped and injured her back.
‘I had three massive hematomas on my spine, huge. I could barely stand up,’ Winslet revealed, with the actress somehow still sticking to the grueling schedule while working through the pain.
As for the actress paying crew salaries, it was revealed that the film’s financing was ‘precarious,’ and at one point during pre-production, she, ‘personally covered two weeks of wages to keep things going.’
Producer Kate Solomon described Winslet as, ‘indefatigable,’ adding, ‘Kate held the film in her.’
‘If you spoke to her about any aspect of it, she knew what her opinion was. And when you have that, you can galvanize everyone behind that person,’ Solomon added.
‘It looks effortless, but having lived with her, you can say: My God, it is a lot of work to get to that point.’
Antony Penrose, the real Lee Miller’s son and biographer, revealed that he thought Winslet would have made a great Lee Miller when he saw Titanic.
Producer Kate Solomon described Winslet as, ‘indefatigable,’ adding, ‘Kate held the film in her’
‘When I saw Kate all those years ago in Titanic, what I loved was that she wasn’t afraid to get wet, to get dirty, to fall in the water, to get roughed up. I thought she would make a fantastic Lee Miller,’ Penrose said.
Winslet was said to be involved in every stage of the production, even in bringing on female writers in Liz Hannah (The Post) and Marion Hume, a former editor-in-chief of Vogue Australia and an expert on Miller.
She even worked closely on casting, bringing on comedian Andy Samberg to play Life photographer David Scherman, Miller’s close friend, in Samberg’s first dramatic role.
Antony Penrose, the real Lee Miller’s son and biographer, revealed that he thought Winslet would have made a great Lee Miller when he saw Titanic
‘I couldn’t say no to acting opposite Kate Winslet,’ Samberg admitted, adding, ‘She’s incredible. I knew this [movie] would be of a certain quality, no matter what, because of her.
She even helped coordinate Samberg’s flights so he could minimize his time away from his children in Los Angeles.
‘She said: ‘We’re going to make it happen for you, don’t worry.’ She was just thorough —somehow able to sway the creative flow of things in a positive way,’ Samberg added.
Lee debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month, before premiering at the Sydney Film Festival in June.
Lee hits Australian cinemas on October 24.
