Kate Winslet has revealed the very unexpected way she came up with the idea to make a film about World War II photographer Lee Miller in a new conversation for Variety’s Actors on Actors issue.
The actress, 49, played the role of Lee in the film of the same name released in September and she has now spoken about its origins.
She spoke with her Avatar: The Way of Water co-star Zoe Saldaña, where Kate talked about how she ended up getting the real Lee’s kitchen table.
Kate said: ‘I had been to an exhibition of hers in Edinburgh in the early 2000s, and years later some friends of mine who work in an auction house called, and they said, ‘This table was the kitchen table in the house of [Lee’s] family.’
“They know how much I love cooking and appreciate family meals. And Lee was a great cook, and she cooked all these wonderful meals, and they had great times at this table.
‘I bought this table’… I sat down at the table and thought, ‘Why hasn’t anyone made a movie about Lee Miller?’
Kate Winslet has revealed the very unexpected way she came up with the idea to make a film about World War II photographer Lee Miller in a new conversation for Variety’s Actors on Actors issue
The actress, 49, played the role of Lee in the film of the same name released in September and she has now spoken about its origins
Kate stars in Lee, where she plays World War II photojournalist Lee Miller, who chronicles the war for Vogue magazine.
It is an adaptation of Antony Penrose’s 1985 biography The Lives of Lee Miller.
She also spoke to Variety about why she was so drawn to the character, saying, “TThe reason I wanted to tell Lee’s story was precisely because of what you just identified: you didn’t know who she was.
“So many people don’t know that the photos they may have seen are related to the World War II conflict and the Nazi regime, so many people never connected the dots and realized that it was actually a middle-aged woman who took these photos . images.’
It comes after last month Kate pondered stripping down to recreate a ‘stunning’ topless bathtub scene in the war biopic.
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.
She spoke to her Avatar: The Way of Water, starring Zoe Saldaña, where Kate talked about how she ended up getting the real Lee’s kitchen table.
Kate stars in Lee, where she plays World War II photojournalist Lee Miller, who chronicles the war for Vogue magazine.
She also spoke to Variety about why she was so drawn to the character, saying, “The reason I wanted to tell Lee’s story was exactly because of what you just identified: you didn’t know who she was.”
Kate can be seen at the British premiere of Lee in September
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 continued, “I was like, ‘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.
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.”
Earlier this year, Kate revealed she ‘refused to hide her stomach rolls’ while filming Lee after a crew member told her so.
The film is an adaptation of Antony Penrose’s 1985 biography The Lives of Lee Miller
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?’