Kate Winslet reflects on one of the joys of her career: having the chance to work alongside her own children.
The 50-year-old actress opened up about her experience while speaking with PEOPLE at the Goodbye June NYC special screening on December 8, sharing everything she’s learned from watching her children embark on their creative paths.
Winslet, who starred with daughter Mia Threapleton, 25, and son Joe Anders, 21, in the 2021 drama I am Ruthalso teamed up with Joe again for Goodbye June.
The project marks her directorial debut and Joe wrote the screenplay.
For her, the biggest takeaway was finding out who her children are, on and off set.
“I think what I honestly learned about my kids is that they are such good people,” she said, noting that Mia and Joe, whom she shares with ex-husband Sam Mendes, are unaware of their talent.
She added that both remained grounded and focused on the work itself. Winslet also shares her youngest son, Bear Blaze, 12, with husband Edward Abel Smith.
She described her children as “very humble,” explaining that they grew up listening to her stories on set, the lessons she learned, the moments that shaped her, and the ideas passed down from other actors and filmmakers.
Seeing that influence manifest in their own work ethic makes her even more proud.
According to Winslet, Mia and Joe understand how important collaboration is, simply because “it’s all they’ve ever witnessed in my professional life.”
Seeing them adopt this mindset gives him confidence in their future.
“So I feel really excited for them, really, for what’s going to happen because they can handle it,” she said.
The actress also recently praised Joe’s involvement in Goodbye Juneexplaining about Jimmy Kimmel Live! that she chose to make the film to protect the heart of her story.
She remembers telling him that she wanted to direct because handing a script to a director means “it becomes theirs”, and she wasn’t ready for that.
Instead, she wanted him to “experience seeing this beautiful thing he had created come to life.”
Working alongside him every day, she said, was “just fantastic,” especially since he “turns out to be very, very intelligent when it comes to film.”
Winslet’s reflections highlight not only her admiration for her children’s growing careers, but also her belief that they enter the industry as strong, competent and, above all, “good” people.
