Kate Winslet finds it hard to make time for herself without “feeling guilty about it”.

The Revolutionary Road actress devotes so much time to her children — 10-year-old Mia, her daughter with first husband Jim Threapleton, and seven-year-old Joe, her son with second spouse Sam Mendes, who she split from in March 2010 — she has joked she has forgotten how to “sit down”, and has to force herself to make time to just relax.

She said in an interview with Britain’s HELLO! magazine: “Any mother knows the last person you think about is yourself. I’ve been a mother for 10 years and I’m still trying to figure out how to give time to myself without feeling guilty about it.

“Sometimes I’ll sit down and I’ll go, ‘Oh it’s just nice to sit down,’ because truly, I’ve forgotten how to do that.

“You forget to sit down and not worry about what needs to be done for the kids, just take time for yourself and pick up a book or read a recipe. I tell myself ‘Just. Sit. Down.’ it’s a challenge.”

Kate, 35, also revealed she is enjoying her 30s and feels much more secure in herself and prepared for the challenges of life than she did in her 20s.

She added: “I think that for a lot of women, our 20s are a time of really figuring things out and figuring out what we’re really about. Of course, at the time, we think we know exactly who we are, we think we’ve done all the growing emotionally . And then along come our 30s and it’s all different again.

“I’m really enjoying my 30s, actually. I have so much more life experience than I did when I was 25 and that’s a real luxury.”

Source: The Independent

Painstakingly constructed settings are usually reserved for epic science fiction fantasies where directors have unparalleled freedom to create digital environments, but there are no superheroes in a Todd Haynes film — just empathetic, flawed human beings acting out their lives in minute period detail. Haynes became a cult icon when his 43-minute short film Superstar (1987), the tragic saga of anorexic pop star Karen Carpenter told using Barbie dolls, was banned from circulation because of copyright issues. (Bootleg copies can still be viewed on YouTube.) Haynes, who was born in Los Angeles in 1961, has been tweaking societal conventions ever since. As a pivotal member of the New Queer Cinema movement, he enraged conservative politicians with frank depictions of gay sex in Poison (1991), then upended his own audience’s expectations four years later, with the jarring hypochondriac drama Safe (1995). Subsequent films such as Velvet Goldmine (1998), Far From Heaven (2002), and I’m Not There (2007) manage to embrace both experimental and formal aims, like academic theses wrapped in sweeping, melodramatic arcs. Throughout his career, the director has explored how women have navigated visible and invisible levers of power. “I’m drawn to female characters,” he tells Kate Winslet, his self-professed “other Coen brother” and star and co-producer of his new HBO miniseries, Mildred Pierce. “And not all of them are strong characters.” Airing this spring, the five-part miniseries tells the story based on the novel by James M. Cain, of a resilient but imperfect woman who struggles to raise a family in Great Depression–era Los Angeles. Winslet recently spoke with Haynes, who was at his home in Portland, Oregon, about, among other things, Mildred Pierce, why he’s never made a film set in the contemporary world, and the challenge of letting things go.

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Thomas Keller taught Adam Sandler.

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger taught the cast of Tortilla Soup.

Michael White taught Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart.

Celebrity Chefs are adding yet another title to their vast array — cooking teachers to Hollywood stars. With more and more culinary-themed films being produced, this is a lucrative growth area for celebrity chefs.

If you are watching HBO’s miniseries, Mildred Pierce, you’re going to see Tom Colicchio student Kate Winslet as a restaurant owner.

How good was Tom’s teaching?

That seems to depend on what Kate is cooking.

Take a look at what she told David Letterman back in 2009. The big question then: “With an average two wounds per meal, does Kate Winslet belong in the kitchen?” Apparently, she really needed lessons, at least something along the lines of occupational safety and health.

Source: Super Chef

Kate Winslet has revealed that she struggled to portray the breakdown of a relationship in new TV mini-series Mildred Pierce, because the scenes reminded her of splitting from husband Sam Mendes.

The Titanic star announced the end of her seven-year marriage to the American Beauty director last year (10).

“It was tough. There were moments like that one where I was using things from my own life in my performance,” the Daily Express quoted Kate as saying.

“There were days when I’d almost feel comatose.”

But the actress found a delicious distraction during filming in the form of male model Louis Dowler, whom she dated for eight months.

In Mildred Pierce, a remake of the 1945 Joan Crawford film, Winslet plays an American in the Thirties who refuses to be a victim of the economic downturn and works hard to make something of herself.

“I connected with Mildred. I share her survival instinct. My parents didn’t have any money. I know what it’s like to work hard to get by and make something of yourself,” she said.

Source: DNA India

Kate Winslet has a unique gift to remember her time on the set of TV mini-series Mildred Pierce — a gag reel filled with the actress’ expletive-laden outtakes.

The Titanic star plays the title role in the upcoming 1930s drama, about a young mother who opens up a bakery to earn some extra cash.

But Winslet struggled to keep in character throughout the shoot and would often let slip a few curse words, so producers decided to gather up all of the rude bloopers and presented Winslet with the complete collection when filming wrapped.

The Oscar winner was keen to show off the footage, but she soon realized it wasn’t quite so suitable to screen to her kids, Mia, 10, and Joe, seven.

Speaking on US talk show The View on Friday, Winslet says, “To have this was so much fun and I thought, ‘Oh, well I can show the children.’ So we sat down and I said, ‘Guys, guys this is really exciting, it’s all the silly bits, when mistakes happen.’ So we put it on. Three seconds later I was like, ‘Off! We’ll watch that when you’re 18.’”

Source: Yahoo! News UK

Kate Winslet improved her skills in the kitchen while shooting new TV show Mildred Pierce — she received chicken-chopping lessons from celebrity chef Tom Colicchio.

The Titanic actress takes the title role in the upcoming HBO drama, playing a young mother in the 1930s who opens up a bakery to earn extra cash.

Producers drafted in famed cook Colicchio to teach Winslet an authentic retro technique for cutting up meat — and she was delighted to learn new culinary skills.

Winslet tells GrubStreet.com, “I cook anyway, so I was very fortunate with that. I was working with the culinary experts, and they just could see that I’m obviously used to being in the kitchen. And that definitely did help, I have to say, especially when I had to do things quite swiftly and deftly in the kitchen and make it look as though she had been doing it for years.

“(Colicchio) really actually came up with a particular way of portioning up the chicken that isn’t really done so much these days, so it didn’t look too contemporary. We didn’t want it to look like I had been taught by a culinary expert, and Tom was very good at being aware of that, and how important that was for the character.”

And Winslet has continued using her new-found skills in her kitchen at home.

She adds, “I never buy chicken in pieces anymore, I always buy a whole chicken. I’m like, I know how to do this!”

Source: Yahoo! News UK

Actress Kate Winslet goes platinum blonde for Vogue’s UK April 2011 edition.

In the intimate interview and accompanying shoot by Mario Testino, Kate Winslet talks about being single and what’s next in her career and personal life.

In Solo Act tells Jo Ellison about starting again following her split from husband Sam Mendes.

She said: “It’s empowering…

“Experiencing those moments of being alone… is a very, very weird flooring and exposing position to be in when you’re just not used to it. And it’s not just being in a relationship.

“It’s also the fact that I grew up in a family full of people.”

Kate is currently filming Carnage where she plays Nancy in the comedy alongside Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly.

Source: thefancarpet

Kate Winslet turned to exercise to help her get over her marriage split.

The British actress and Sam Mendes went their separate ways last year, and she admits finding it hard to deal with. Kate has ten-year-old daughter Mia with ex-husband Jim Threapleton, and seven-year-old son Joe with Sam, and the realization she would be a single mother was hard.

She knew it was a situation she had to embrace with open arms, and found working out gave her some focus.

“That’s the main reason I took it up,” she replied, when asked if exercise helped her get through her divorce. “But I do feel… I don’t know… a part of, I suppose, my way out of everything, has been really taking care of myself. I think that comes from an awareness that my children really need me, and they need me to be the healthiest version of myself that I can possibly be…,” she says having a fag and a glass of wine.

Kate has been amazed by how well she’s coped following the end of her marriage. She has spent much of her adult life in serious relationships, and is now finally happy to be on her own.

“I really am. I really am,” she told the British edition of Vogue. “I actually keep saying it out loud. Last night I went out for a drink with two friends and, as we were walking, I said, ‘God, you know, I feel so good.’ Not in a, ‘Wow! I feel so good!’ way, but just in that quiet centered way. I’m almost surprised by it. I feel well, I feel healthy. I feel clear. I feel centered.”

The 35-year-old has given herself time to grieve for her relationship with Sam, and isn’t rushing into another romance too quickly. Last year she was linked to male model Louis Dowler, but the Oscar-winning actress has hinted that relationship was not as serious as many thought.

“I do feel that I have been sifting through the debris for quite some time. And I’ve emerged the other side and I’m walking forward. Completely by myself, having done a little bit of personal healing,” she said.

Asked if she was referring to Louis, Kate smiled: “I’m not talking about waving joss sticks around, or lighting purple candles. None of that sh*t!”

Source: Musicrooms.net