Leonardo DiCaprio, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday, and Kate Winslet have stayed friends in the nearly 30 years that have gone by since they starred in “Titanic” together. They publicly reunited Tuesday night, when DiCaprio introduced her at a screening of her film “Lee” and praised her so effusively that she almost cried, per Variety.
Winslet produced and stars in the film as photojournalist Lee Miller, a former model who went behind the camera and captured unforgettable World War II images as a Vogue correspondent.
“Kate Winslet has dedicated herself to the film and to honoring Lee’s legacy for over the course of nine years,” DiCaprio said during his introduction of Winslet at the screening at the Harmony Gold Theater in Los Angeles, video of which ended up online. “I remember her speaking about this to me personally. This has been a massive passion project for her, and it’s a journey that speaks to the depth of Kate’s passion and her dedication to telling stories that need to be remembered.”
“Kate, my dear friend, your work in this film has been nothing short of transformative,” DiCaprio continued. “I continue to be awestruck. I continue to admire your strength, your integrity, your talent, and your passion to every single project that you create. So without further ado, one of the great talents of my generation, the one and only Kate Winslet.” They shared a long, friendly embrace as Winslet took the stage.
“I can’t even look at Leo now or else I’ll cry,” she said.
Winslet and DiCaprio became superstars in 1997 when they starred in James Cameron’s “Titanic,” one of the most successful films of all time. Winslet was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance. They worked together again in 2008’s “Revolutionary Road,” for which Winslet won a Golden Globe for Best Drama Actress.
“Lee” was a labor of love for Winslet, who developed the film for eight years and covered two weeks of salaries during preproduction out of her own pocket, according to Vogue. The film also stars Marion Cotillard, Andrea Riseborough, Andy Samberg, Noémie Merlant, Josh O’Connor, and Alexander Skarsgård. It opened in theaters on Sept. 27 and is available to rent or buy on VOD.
