Happy Birthday Kate Winslet!

How cute are they!

Kate Winslet is and has been my favorite actress now for about 15 years. That's the longest commitment I've ever made to anyone, especially when there are so many other viable options around. My first favorite actress was Julia Roberts, but as I grew up I realized that Julia, while absolutely adorable and legit, did not really stretch herself as an actress. Sure, there's that Erin Brockovich thing, and that was awesome. But on the whole, Julia is and always will be Pretty Woman.

All grown up!

I remember exactly where I was when I really noticed Kate Winslet. I was sitting in the theater at Midway Plaza in Opelika, Alabama in a bouncy blue seat. I am not sure what movie I was going to watch, but I do know that the teaser trailer for Titanic was on the previews. From the moment I saw that ship going down, I was obsessed with all things Titanic, which meant...Kate Winslet. Of course, I'd seen Sense and Sensibility before, thanks to my "period piece" loving friend, Amy, but Kate didn't catch my attention at that point. A few weeks after that trailer I saw her play Ophelia in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet and it became my favorite Shakespeare play. The way she poured herself into those roles, so much heart, so much passion!

I followed Kate through her various projects, all of which were decent, but what kept her in the spotlight during those years were her curves. Kate was voluptuous and sexy, two things that Hollywood never really talks about being compatible. But she pulled it off perfectly. 

Truth be told...I'm a vindictive Bitch!

It wasn't until she showed up in my favorite movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, that her career really took off. Up until that moment she'd kind of been the Titanic girl. But in the last 10 years she has really hit her stride. Finding Neverland, The Reader, The Life of David Gale, Revolutionary Road, and Little Children solidified her acting career. Even her Rom/Com Holiday, is better than 99% of the Rom/Coms out there!

Where is your heart!

Though at times I consider a new favorite...Claire Danes, Michelle Williams (and more recently Carey Mulligan...I cannot WAIT for Gatsby!), I still claim Kate as the best. (I just realized that Leo has been the leading man to each of these women...maybe I really just have a thing for him!) 

So classy.

Today is Kate Winslet's 37th birthday, and she looks fabulous! She still has at least 40 good years of acting ahead of her. I would say that she could be the next Helen Mirren, but she's already made a name for herself. She will only get better with time.

If I had to choose my favorite Winslet role it would definitely be a toss up between Clementine from Eternal Sunshine and Marianne from Sense and Sensibility. I've even started a book called "The Online Redemption of Clementine Dashwood." I can relate the most to these two characters, and I like to believe that Kate can too. 

What's your favorite Kate Winslet Role?