Kate Winslet 'Took Last Year Off' To Recover And Be With Family

Kate Winslet is back to work after taking a year off to relax and enjoy some quality time with her family.

The 46-year-old actor, who won her second Emmy Award for her title character in HBO's "Mare of Easttown," told Variety that she took a break from acting in 2021.

"I took last year off to be with my family and to recover from 'Mare of Easttown.' It was good to have a bit of a reset," said Winslet. But, the London native loves her job and is "really ready to throw [herself] back into it."

"For an actor, there's nothing as thrilling as being in a room with other actors. I am craving that again. But I've got heaps going on this year so I’m excited to get going," the "Titanic" star shared in the interview, published Tuesday to mark International Women's Day.

Winslet — who has two sons, Bear, 8, Joe, 18, and daughter Mia, 21 — told Emmy magazine last April that she had to "stay very fit" to take on the role of detective Mare Sheehan in the series.

She said she had to stay on top of her health, not because she wanted to appear slender, but her role required a lot of physical work. "I had to physically do a lot of tackling and fighting and arresting people, you know, taking huge grown men down to the ground," she added.

As for her upcoming roles, Winslet said she is fulfilling a dream by collaborating with Andrea Riseborough, someone she's "longed to work with for some time."

"I have always admired her work. She is entirely different, truthful and compelling in everything she does. I find her riveting to watch. She is unselfconscious and damn funny, too. 'Death of Stalin' is a firm favorite in our house. She and I [are] working together later this year and I truly cannot wait," Winslet told Variety.

Winslet, who has been part of the industry for nearly three decades, has a strong message for other women entering the entertainment world.

"Don't expect the world to owe you something that you haven't worked hard toward achieving for yourself. It won't get handed to you on a plate. Just keep experimenting and practicing, even if that's just at home. Don't act in front of a mirror. All that does is show you what your facial expressions are. But it's more important to start from the inside. Try not to be hard on yourself if you don't get a role you really wanted, just keep going," she said.

"Don't scrutinize your appearance, it will only make you self-conscious and becomes a distraction," she added.

The bottom line is to "enjoy it," Winslet shared. "Acting is a joy and a pleasure. Just keep enjoying what it feels like."