Kate Winslet explains that she feels she is letting women down by not directing films

British actress Kate Winslet has expressed her feelings of inadequacy when it comes to directing, saying she believes she's "letting down other women" by not taking the leap into filmmaking. In a candid interview on the How to Fail podcast released on September 6, the star of the upcoming biopic Lee explained her reasons for not yet directing a film despite being asked about it frequently on set.

In an interview, Kate Winslet explained that despite a rich acting career that includes films such as Titanic and The Reader, she did not become a director because of her mothering duties. Although she has expressed interest in production later in her career, she admitted that the circumstances have never been good for her to take on such a rigorous job in the movies.

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Kate Winslet opens up about balancing motherhood and her career

In the interview, Kate Winslet talked about the pressure she faced between her career and family, especially with the role of being a woman and a mother.

She explained how much people love to say it to her,

"So many people will say to me on film sets 'why aren’t you directing?' and I’ll go 'no, no, no, please don't say it. Stop saying it. Why does everyone keep saying it?"

The British actress, who gave birth to her first child Mia when she was only 25, said that family was always her focus. She explained that directing and handling a show was a long-term process, something she was not willing or able to do while balancing her career and motherhood.

"It's a very long time, and it's a huge commitment, and I have always had a family," she said.

Despite this, Kate Winslet feels increasingly compelled to direct as part of the broader push to create change within the industry.

"But the more I'm not doing it now, with the need to change the culture, the more I feel like I'm actually letting down other women by not doing it. I'm really starting to feel that in quite a loud way."

Although Kate Winslet admits to feeling a growing sense of responsibility to direct, she clarified that she has no immediate plans to take on the role. She revealed her passion for working with actors and her understanding of the unique language actors share with one another. She shared,

"There's a language that you have as actors that you share with each other that is quite unique."

"And I think to direct actors, knowing what that language is, knowing how to say very, very little to an actor, actually it can land in a meaningful way."

Kate Winslet's latest project, Lee, in which she stars as World War II photographer Lee Miller, is directed by Ellen Kuras in her feature directorial debut. Winslet produced the film, and while she isn't directing this time around, her involvement behind the scenes marks a significant step toward future projects where she may take the helm.

During the interview, Kate Winslet also opened up about the criticism she has faced from male directors throughout her career. Reflecting on her first BAFTA win for Sense and Sensibility, Winslet recalled a conversation with director Ang Lee on her first day of filming.

"I said, 'so you know, was it okay? Was everything okay?' and he looked at me with a smile and he put his hand on my shoulder and he went, 'aww, you'll get better. I promise you,'" she said.

Winslet has previously expressed regret over working with controversial director Woody Allen on the 2017 film Wonder Wheel. She recounted Allen's dismissive comments during filming, including telling her,

"Do it better, you're just doing it like a bad actress."

Kate Winslet has no immediate plans to take on that responsibility. Her current focus remains on acting and producing, with future projects yet to be officially announced. Fans can expect Lee to be one of her most anticipated releases in the near future.