Kate Winslet has recently divulged a surprising detail about an unforgettable moment from her career, the iconic scene in “Titanic” where she and Leonardo DiCaprio share a kiss. Known as one of cinema’s most memorable moments, it features Jack (DiCaprio) at the ship’s bow with Rose (Winslet) joining him to gaze out at the horizon before they share a kiss. While this scene might seem the epitome of romance to viewers, Winslet reveals it was less so behind the scenes.
Winslet opened up about the challenges they faced while filming this particular scene during a recent interview with Vanity Fair. As she rewatched the moment from the 1997 blockbuster, she commented, “Now this was a nightmare shooting this, because Leo couldn’t stop laughing and we had to re-shoot this about four times because the light, the light was – Jim [director James Cameron] wanted a very specific light for this, obviously, and the sunsets kept changing where we were.”
She added details about the physical setup for the shoot, “This was a section of the ship, it wasn’t part of the actual whole ship set that we had, it was a little sort of sawn off bit. We had to climb up a ladder to get to that, I remember, hair and make-up couldn’t reach us.”
Discussing the logistics of their makeup, Winslet explained despite DiCaprio’s seemingly effortless appearance, a lot of preparation was needed for his look. “He actually ‘had to lie on sun beds’ and there was ‘a lot of fake tan make-up going on’,” she noted.
Winslet revealed the makeup was a bit tricky to manage in this scene too (20th Century Fox)
Juggling makeup for both was another task, as Winslet shared, “So, within her costume, Winslet had DiCaprio’s makeup, ‘brushes and sponge’ alongside her own make-up brushes and sponge in the other side, the actor taking on the role of make-up artist too in-between takes.”
Recalling the aftermath of their repeated kissing scenes, Winslet said, “I would end up looking like I had been sucking a caramel chocolate bar after each take because his makeup would come off on me, and he just looked like there was a bit missing from his face.” She also mentioned the discomfort caused by her tight costume, stating, “I couldn’t breathe properly in my costume as my ‘boobs are practically up to [her] chin’.”
Despite the challenges, Winslet expressed immense pride in the scene and the film overall. She finds it “extraordinary” how new generations continue to discover “Titanic” for the first time, making it a “film that just keeps giving.”