Acclaimed actress Kate Winslet has opened up about the significant challenges she faced as a first-time female director, revealing that crew members on her debut film were underpaid due to budgetary constraints linked to industry bias.
The Budget Battle and Calling in Favours
Speaking on the Kermode & Mayo’s Take podcast in December 2025, the 50-year-old Oscar winner explained that getting her film Goodbye June made required her to call in personal favours because potential investors were hesitant to back a woman director. Winslet stated that this struggle is a common experience for women in the industry, forcing them to operate with tighter budgets than their male counterparts.
This financial pressure meant that some department heads and their teams, who were eager to work on the project, had to accept less than their standard weekly rate. "Sometimes people take a little bit of a hit because they want to come and be part of that experience and they want to support you," Winslet said, acknowledging the sacrifice made by the crew.
Confronting Deep-Rooted Sexism and Assumptions
Winslet went further to critique the automatic assumptions made about female directors. She argued that there is a pervasive societal belief that women behind the camera "don’t know what they’re doing," an assumption not levelled at men. This bias, she claims, directly impacts their ability to secure necessary funding.
"It’s not right and actually it’s not fair because what it does mean is that it will be harder for us to get films made, harder for us to get the kind of budgets that we need," she asserted. The actress-turned-director also highlighted a different language used when addressing women in the role, contrasting it with the freedom given to male actors who move into directing.
A Personal Project and Broader Advocacy
Goodbye June is a particularly personal project for Winslet, as it was written by her 21-year-old son, Joe Anders. Her comments on the podcast extend her long-standing advocacy within the industry. Winslet has also been vocal in recent years about the pressures on women's appearances, drawing from her own experience of being "relentlessly bullied" after her fame skyrocketed with Titanic.
In a separate interview with The Times, she expressed concern over the modern obsession with cosmetic perfection and plastic surgery, calling the trend "terrifying" and "devastating" for self-esteem. She lamented that her message championing natural beauty often feels lost in the age of social media validation.
Winslet's revelations underscore the ongoing economic and professional hurdles for women in filmmaking, emphasising that systemic change is needed to ensure equitable treatment and proper funding for all directors.
