Kate Winslet Says Kissing ‘Titanic’ Co-Star Leonardo Dicaprio Was a ‘Nightmare’: "Couldn't Breathe"

Millions of hearts sank straight into the depths of the ocean when Kate Winslet revealed that television's most celebrated romance's first kiss wasn't as great as everyone regarded it to be. Winslet didn't hold back as she spoke about the famous scene in Titanic, where her character Rose kissed co-star Leonardo DiCaprio's character Jack. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Winslet said that the kiss 'was not all it's cracked up to be.'

Winslet explained that this sequence was difficult to film for a few reasons, chief among them being that she was assigned to touch up DiCaprio's and her own makeup in between takes, per Indy100. Winslet explained, laughing, “So we kept doing this kiss… and I would end up looking as though I had been sucking a caramel 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 because there was a big pale bit from all my makeup getting onto him.”

She also said the scene was reshot a bunch of times, making it a nightmare for the stars. "We had to reshoot this about four times because of the light … [director James Cameron] wanted the light to be specific for this, obviously,” Winslet shared. "So I have got hidden in here and here [in her blouse] … I’ve got his makeup and brushes and sponge, and my makeup and brushes and sponge on the other side," she continued. "And between takes, I was basically redoing our makeup." 

In addition to her make-up fiasco, her clothes were also a major source of annoyance. Winslet explained, "See I look at that and I just see how much I couldn’t breathe in that bloody corset," she joked as she watched the scene with Vanity Fair. Nonetheless, Winslet was all heart for DiCaprio as she re-watched scenes from the movie, remarking on what a heartthrob he was. “My god, he’s quite the romancer, isn’t he,” she said, rewatching the scene. “No wonder every young girl in the world wanted to kiss Leonardo DiCaprio.”

When Titanic was released, Winslet was barely 22 and DiCaprio was 23. The actors were still in the very early stages of their careers; but both eventually went on to win Oscars, per Global News. Following her rewatch of the scenes, Winslet considered the lasting influence of Titanic since 1997. “I do feel very proud of it, because I feel that it is that film that keeps giving. Whole other generations of people are discovering the film or seeing it for the first time, and there’s something extraordinary about that,” she said. “It doesn’t mean that people don’t get me to try and reenact this every time I’m on a flipping boat, which does my head in,” she said, annoyed. “Every time, without fail.”

This article was originally published on 06.23.24.