Kate Winslet refused airbrushing of her 'bulgy' body in Mare of Easttown

Kate Winslet has revealed she rejected the airbrushing of her body during the filming of the Mare of Easttown, in a powerful stance against the unrealistic representation of middle-aged women in the media. 

The Oscar-winning actor has received widespread praise for her portrayal of a police sergeant in the gripping HBO crime show, with many critics lauding the authenticity of the performance. 

The gritty mini-series sees Kate shed her English persona to play Mare Sheehan, a troubled detective whose life is upturned after she reopens an investigation into a missing girl in her hometown of Philadephia. 

What ensues is seven episodes of captivating drama as she attempts to dig up the truth about the tragic disappearance while simultaneously working on the case of a murdered teenage mother. The stress of her job is exacerbated by her complicated personal life, which is shaped by family tribulations and complex romances. 

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From its rustic backdrop to its rugged costume design, the stripped-back Mare of Easttown showcases Kate Winslet at her best—without any filters. 

Unfortunately, not everyone seems to agree. 

The Titanic star has revealed that the series director, Craig Zobel, "assured her" he could airbrush "a bulgy bit of belly" out of her sex scene in the first episode. Kate immediately rejected his proposal, telling him, "Don't you dare!" 

Kate also spoke up when she saw the Mare of Easttown promotional photos, which had been retouched to smooth out her skin. 

"They were like 'Kate, really, you can’t,' and I’m like 'Guys, I know how many lines I have by the side of my eye, please put them all back,'" she said. 

Contrary to what the show's producers might believe, Kate argues that the wrinkles and bulges are what makes her character so relatable to viewers. 

"Listen, I hope that in playing Mare as a middle-aged woman—I will be 46 in October—I guess that’s why people have connected with this character in the way that they have done because there are clearly no filters. She’s a fully functioning, flawed woman with a body and a face that moves in a way that is synonymous with her age and her life and where she comes from. I think we’re starved of that a bit."

Kate also shared her concerns about the prevalence of editing photos on social media and its contribution to unattainable beauty ideals. 

"What worries me is that faces are beautiful," she said. "Faces that change, that move, are beautiful faces, but we’ve stopped learning how to love those faces because we keep covering them up with filters now because of social media and anyone can photoshop themselves, and airbrush themselves, and so they do." 

If only more A-listers spoke so honestly about this issue!