Kate Winslet Recalls the Realities of Filming Iconic ‘Titanic’ Scene

Behind the Romance: Makeup Mishaps and Hectic Filming

Kate Winslet recently opened up about the famous “I’m flying” scene from *Titanic*, sharing that the romantic moment wasn’t as glamorous as it seemed. In a video with Vanity Fair, the Oscar-winning actress reminisced about the memorable kiss between her character Rose and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack, revealing the chaotic reality behind the scenes.

“My god, he’s quite the romancer, isn’t he? No wonder every young girl in the world wanted to be kissed by Leonardo DiCaprio,” Winslet joked. However, she quickly added, “It was not all it’s cracked up to be.”

Winslet detailed the challenges of filming the scene, noting the constant need for makeup touch-ups. “We kept doing this kiss, and I’ve got a lot of pale makeup on. I would have to do our makeup checks on both of us between takes,” she explained. “I would end up looking as though I’d been sucking a caramel chocolate bar after each take because his makeup would come off on me.”

DiCaprio, too, had his own makeup struggles, looking like “there was a bit missing from his face” due to the residue from Winslet’s makeup. “Oh God, it was such a mess,” she added.

Describing the shoot as a “nightmare,” Winslet mentioned issues with lighting and the filming location’s inaccessibility for the makeup team. The scene required multiple takes, with Winslet repeatedly hitting her knee on the railing, much to DiCaprio’s amusement. “Leo couldn’t stop laughing, and we had to reshoot this about four times because [director James Cameron] wanted a very specific light, and the sunsets kept changing where we were,” she recalled.

The filming location, a section of the ship set apart from the main set, posed additional challenges. “We had to climb up a ladder to get to it. Hair and makeup couldn’t reach us,” Winslet said. She revealed that DiCaprio had to use sunbeds and fake tan makeup to achieve his look.

Winslet also shared a humorous anecdote about hiding makeup supplies in her dress to redo their makeup between takes. “I had his makeup and brushes and sponge and my makeup and brushes and sponge hidden in parts of my dress. Between takes, I was basically redoing our makeup,” she recounted.

Despite the difficulties, *Titanic* became a monumental success, winning 11 Oscars, including Best Picture. “I do feel very proud of it because it is that film that just keeps giving,” Winslet expressed. “Whole other generations of people are discovering the film or seeing it for the first time, and there’s something extraordinary about that.”