"Late Night With David Letterman" - January 10, 2000

I have transcribed and added screen captures to the Late Show with David Letterman interview. When Kate walked on the stage with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, I knew it would be an entertaining segment!

Dave: She's an Oscar-nominated actress, starring in a new film entitled "Holy Smoke". It opens in New York and Los Angeles on January 14th. Here's the lovely Kate Winslet!

Kate: [Responding to the applause from the audience] Wow!
How are you?
I'm fine.
You know what? I was thinking about you on New Year's Eve because I'm watching… They had this coverage from around the world, you know, and they showed Paris. And the Paris people, the French people had the Eiffel Tower all lit up.
It was amazing, yeah.
It was stunningly beautiful. And then Tony Blair, your buddy, is shooting his mouth off about… [Kate laughs] …He says, 'OK, Paris? That's nothin'. Wait till you see London, plus, plus, for the kids, we're gonna set fire to the Thames,' so I thought…
Don't talk to me about the River of Fire.
Well, what happened?
I don't know. I was naked in the sea at this point, I have to say.
I'm sorry - what? [Audience 'oohs', Kate pumps her fist in the air, audience applauds and cheers] Hot diggity!
Well, you know how much I like the cold water and everything...
Hmm? [David leans toward her]
Well, we were down in Cornwall, which is on the west coast of England, right by the sea - it's gorgeous - with about twelve friends…
Is this now the Atlantic Ocean that we're talking about?
This is, indeed.
Yeah.
And it was freezing cold. We all ran into the sea [whispering] with no clothes on.
So, this is like…
That's how we saw in… [Audience applauds]
Wow! How about that?
And that's how we saw in the new millennium.
But, did you ever hear any more about why they couldn't get the fire in the river going?
No, I didn't. Apparently, it happened, but it was very brief, or something. There's some aerial photo that exists that proves that it did happen.
Oh, I would like to see that.
I would like to, too.
Because, you know, there, again, is an apology I'll have to make...
We should call them up.
...To Tony Blair and the good people of London. What else is going on? I see you have your leather pants on. That's pretty good.
[To Dave] Do you like them? [Cheers from some guys in the audience]
Oh, yeah.
Thank you very much.
They [the audience] can't stand them! Ah, and then, other than being naked in the Atlantic, what have you done for the new year?
Well, so far I've been in the States, actually. Sort of a few days into the new year, it was on a plane and over here to start doing the press for "Holy Smoke" and so on. But I'm pretty happy - I've celebrated my first wedding anniversary now.
Oh, congratulations. How's it going?
It's great. It's really… It's wonderful, and he's wonderful.
Now, you're married to an actor? A director?
He's a director.
A director?
Yeah, he's a director, and he's pretty wonderful. His name's Jim.
Did you meet on a film together?
We met on a film. We met on "Hideous Kinky", yeah.
Oh, well that's nice.
And it was, um… It was pretty instant. [Audience starts to cheer; Kate looks at audience, then at Dave with a devilish twinkle in her eye, obviously delighted to speak about her husband.]

Dave starts to comment, but Kate cuts him off.] No, don't go any further than that, no, don't!
I don't know where to go because I'm confused. I've no idea what's happening now. Ah, but now, in your new movie, Harvey Keitel, fine actor, appears naked, of course. That's standard.
That's standard for Harvey, yeah.
And also in a dress for about half an hour.
He does, indeed - a gorgeous red dress.
Right.  Now, I saw this, and, you know, sure, I'll take all the Harvey in a dress I can get, but… [audience laughs] …How did you get him in a dress? What's that all about?
Well, I have to say that, I mean, Harvey is a wonderful actor, as we all know. But he is a great guy, and he is fiercely professional. And we were in costume fittings when we'd first arrived in Australia to make the movie. And I was, you know, trying on all kinds of things, and Harvey was there, as well. And it was the red dress time, and he put on the red dress, and just stood there, and he went, 'OK, Kate, this is me.' And he had no problem with it. I have to say, he was amazing about it. It was just another one of his costumes. He was perfectly happy in that red dress, actually.
Wow. And he had a little bit of lipstick on at one point, too?
Yeah, a bit of red lippy on, you know, a little bow in his hair.
It's an unusual movie, isn't it?
It is an unusual movie.
Because it starts out… It's like in three parts. It starts out, you think, 'oh, this is the kind of movie it's gonna be.' Then, it changes to a different kind of movie. And, then, you have… all together different in the final third of it.
It's a bit of… I mean, when we were making the movie, Jane Campion would say the whole time, [adopting Campion's accent] 'You know, Kate, this is just such a special journey that we're all on, you know, this journey…' And I would think, 'oh, please stop talking about this journey.' It started to drive me mad. And when I finally saw the movie, which was about four months ago, I just went, 'yeah, it really was a journey.' Cause it just takes you to so many different places - some places that you like to be, and others that you don't like to be. It's really crazy.
Right. Well, it's also beautiful. I guess the scenery is of Australia.
It's the Australian Outback. [Some people in the audience cheer.] Oh, yeah, there are some Aussies in the house.
[Looking at audience] Former penal colony.
Don't listen to him, he's f… [It looked as though Kate was about to say, 'full of ****', LOL]
And there's a scene in there where you're really intoxicated, you're drunk.
Yeah, this is true. I was drunk in the scene, and…
You were actually drunk.
[Looking sheepish] I was.
Now, is this a good idea? Is that how actors do it?
No, I would never actually do this again, but, yeah, we had this scene to do. And we were coming out of a pub, and there was lots of music going on, and all the rest of it. And I had to be drunk for this scene, and I just thought, 'oh, God, what am I gonna do?' And so, I'm sort of practicing at home with my script in my hand, banging around, hitting the furniture. And I was just the worst actor in the world, and I thought, 'no, I just can't do this.' And I'd remembered a friend of mine from England, who's an actor…
All right, now, let me interrupt. Have you had experience in your personal life being drunk? I mean, you knew… [audience laughs]
Oh, yeah.
You've been drunk, so you knew what that is.
I know what it feels like, you know, but acting drunk is very difficult to do.
Right.
So, I'd remembered this friend of mine telling me that he'd done a scene in a movie where he needed to be drunk, and he got drunk. [Rufus Sewell in "Dangerous Beauty", I believe.] And I thought, 'I'm gonna have to do it. OK, I'm just gonna have to do this.' I talked about it with Jane Campion and she said, 'yeah, OK.' And so I was drunk.
She said, 'sure, it's OK for you to get drunk.' Now what time of the day did they do this?
It was night.
Night, right.
Yeah, it was a night shoot. It was sort of eleven o'clock at night.
And what were you drinking to get loaded? [Audience laughter]
I am not gonna have the nation thinking that I'm an alcoholic. [She laughs]
Well, no, but it is odd that you're working on the job. [I think he meant to say, 'it is odd that you're drinking on the job.']
No, it's… [audience still laughing]
Have you seen the pamphlet? I think that's one of the signs. [Applause from audience; Kate is nice to keep smiling and go along with this routine.] And was it like distilled spirits? Was it wine? Was it beer?
It was vodka and tonic.
Oh, yeah, well, there you go. You can't go wrong. That puts you where you want to be, doesn't it?
But I had three, three vodka and tonics, so I wasn't at the point where I'd be sort of falling down drunk.
Now, when you were drunk, were you still acting? Or was it just - you were drunk? [More laughter from audience]
No, I was… [turning to audience] He's just so nice, isn't he?!
No, no, I don't know, I don't know, because you could be so drunk that you're not acting.
No, no, no, no, no. I could remember all my lines, thank God. No, I just had the sort of physical feeling of being a bit sort of floppy. You know how when you've had a few drinks you just feel a bit…[Audience laughter]
You do, I mean, you do, you know. And you're not so in control of the direction in which you're walking. So, I just had that sort of feeling.
Was the director - Jane - was she happy?
She was thrilled, she was thrilled. [Kate laughs]
Good, good. And then, did you have to work more than night, or were you done for the night?
No, that was it. It was the last scene that I… I mean, had it been in the middle of the day I never would have done it because there would have been more stuff to do, and you just can't, you know, you just can't do that kind of thing.
Yeah. And then you're also naked in the film, as well. Does that bother… [Some members of audience cheer and applaud; Kate appears embarrassed and disturbed.]
This is dreadful.
Yeah. Does it bother…as a young woman, and an actress, and a married…a newlywed… Does it bother you to…
It bothers me every time. You know, nude scenes, I really have to say, are awful, and they're so difficult to do, and I'm finding them harder, actually…
Are you drunk for those, mostly? [Audience laughter]
[Shaking her head] No, I'm not, no, no, no, no.
Cause that might be the key…
No, I'm fully aware of everything, with no substances taken at all.
Now, when you… Now, part of this was actually filmed in India. Is that correct?
That's true, yeah.
Shot in India.
India.
Did they know…I'm sure they…everybody saw the "Titanic".
Well, this was really extraordinary, cause I'd gone to India before we did the movie, for two weeks alone, to go to some ashrams and things. Cause I just knew that I wouldn't be able to do this film unless I'd actually sort of been there and seen what it was about. And when we were back there shooting the movie, "Titanic", by that point, had come out. And it really was insane. I mean, they were just desperately trying to sort of touch me, and they… It was amazing, you know, really being followed around everywhere…
These were just folks who would see you in the street?
Just people in the street, you know, following, running. But, at the same time, I have to say that the Indian people are so warm, and happy, and friendly. And they see everything as a gift. So, they were really almost thanking me for the film. And in a way, I have to say it really helped me to finally appreciate just how much "Titanic" had done for so many people, in the sense that it sort of seemed to give people a lot. And it really made me realize that in India.
Good, that's a nice feeling, a nice experience.
It was. [Audience applauds]
Do we wanna show a clip of the show, Kate? Do you know what we're gonna show, Kate?
I do know what you're gonna show.
OK, why don't you tell people what we're gonna look at?
Well, is it the one with the Barbie doll bit in it?
Yeah, let me check. [Dave looks over at producer.]
He doesn't even know. [She laughs]
I ain't in the film.
Well, let's watch it and I'll explain afterwards. I don't know what clip you've chosen.
[To producer] What is it?
It's that one?
Producer: Yes, it's the one she's talking about.
OK, everybody, what is happening here is that Harvey Keitel, who is playing in this movie…
Oh, is Harvey in a dress in this one? [Audience laughter]
No, not in this scene, he's not.
Oh.
I'm sorry. Sorry! No, in this scene… He plays a religious cult exit counselor in the movie, and in this scene he's just starting to drive me so mad. And I'm desperately trying to pull him apart, to pieces as much as possible.
He's been hired by your wacky family to retrieve you…
By my wacky family to retrieve me…
From what they believe is harm's way.
Yeah, exactly.
OK, here we go. Take a look, ladies and gentlemen - Kate Winslet, Harvey Keitel. [After the film clip, Dave says to audience] And then later you get to see her naked and Harvey in a dress!
[Shaking her finger at him and smiling] This is not the way to sell this film. It's more than this!

Yeah, but that's plenty right there! And it opens here in New York City… You can see it on January 14.
Yep.
And then, also in Los Angeles January 14.
Absolutely.
Hey, nice to see you again.
You, too.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
Thank you very much for being here. Beautiful Kate Winslet.

Back to 'RewindII' Page