Kate Winslet reflects on her ‘mind-blowing’ topless bathtub scene in war biopic Lee – and reveals her famous friend’s advice for it

Kate Winslet has thought about stripping down to recreate a ‘stunning’ topless bathtub scene in her war biopic Lee.

The actress, 49, played World War II model and photographer Lee Miller in the film, which was an adaptation of Antony Penrose’s 1985 biography The Lives of Lee Miller.

In one scene, Kate recreated the famous 1945 photo of Lee posing in Hitler’s bath after entering the Führer’s abandoned apartment in Munich.

She revealed that Vogue editor Anna Wintour offered to help her recreate the iconic moment by sending acclaimed fashion photographer Annie Liebowitz to take the photo.

Speaking on the Graham Norton Show, she said: ‘The photo was taken by Annie Leibovitz. Anna Wintour was a strong supporter of the film, saying, “If you remake the bathtub picture, I’ll have to send Annie.”

Kate recreated a scene in which war photographer Lee Miller posed nude in Hitler’s bathtub in 1945 (depicted in the film Lee)

She revealed that Vogue editor Anna Wintour (pictured) sent acclaimed fashion photographer Annie Liebowitz to take the photo when she found out Kate would recreate the moment.

Kate continued: ‘I thought, “Okay, if I have to!”

‘It was an extraordinary evening and the scene was breathtaking. I couldn’t believe we were actually there as we had been developing the film for seven years.”

The real Lee Miller had gotten her then lover, life photographer David Scherman, to take the photo while she was bathing.

On the same day, Hitler committed suicide along with his family as the Allies closed in on them at the end of World War II.

Kate discussed the film while appearing on The Graham Norton Show alongside Dwayne Johnson, Lucy Liu, Jennifer Lopez, actor Jharrel Jerome and British singer Celeste in scenes that aired Friday night.

When asked why she wanted to produce Lee, she said: “I knew who she was and I knew her work, but she had a courage and determination that made me feel like her story had to be brought out of the shadows – it just had to be like that. told.

“She was incredible, powerful and she redefined femininity 80 years ago. She lived life on her terms at the fullest.

“She had a courage that I had never encountered in any other role I’ve ever played.”

Kate played World War II model and photographer Lee in the film (pictured with Marion Cotillard)

She called Lee Miller an ‘incredible’ and ‘powerful’ woman (pictured in the film)

Earlier this year, Kate revealed she ‘refused to hide her stomach rolls’ while filming Lee after a crew member told her so.

The Titanic star recalled someone suggesting she sit straighter to hide her rolls.

Kate told me Harper’s Bazaar in August: ‘There is a part where Lee is sitting on a bench in a bikini.

‘One of the crew members came up between takes and said, ‘You might want to sit up a little straighter.’

“So you don’t see my belly rolls?” Not on your life! It was intentional, you know?’

Kate starred in perhaps one of the most iconic nude scenes from 1997’s Titanic playing Rose, where she leaned back on a couch and asked love interest Jack (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) to “paint her like one of his French girls” .

Kate famously stripped off for a nude scene in Titanic with Leonardo DiCaprio in 1997

While filming a sex scene for Mare Of Easttown in 2021, she wanted her character to be portrayed as “a fully functioning, flawed woman with a body and face that moves in a way synonymous with her age.”

“I think we’re a little hungry for that,” Kate said of the scarcity of unfiltered and realistic female bodies on film and television during an interview with the New York Times.

While the admission of her “unglamorous” performance on the show may be surprising to some viewers, she said she turned down director Craig Zobel’s offer to remove “a protruding bit of belly.”

“Don’t you dare,” she remembered telling him after he assured her the angle wouldn’t pan out.

The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One on Friday 8 November at 10.40pm.