Golden girl Kate is back home after her double win

Annabel Williams • Published 15 Jan 2009 07:00 0 Comments

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IT WAS back to "normal life" this week for a Reading-born A-lister who scooped a double whammy of gongs on Monday.

Kate Winslet's parents, Sally and Roger, told The Chronicle this week that their daughter is back at home in New York after picking up two Golden Globes.

Mrs Winslet said: "After all the press and photos after the ceremony, she probably went to bed.

"Kate flew straight to Chicago the day after the ceremony to do the Oprah Winfrey show, then back to New York because of the children.

"Then it was back to normal life. Life goes on with the children to look after and the school run."

Kate, 33, grew up in Reading and was a student at Redroofs Theatre School in Maidenhead aged 11-17, trod the boards with the Starmaker Theatre and, before finding fame, worked at The Hexagon as an usherette.

She has two children, Mia and Joe, and was married to her

second husband, Reading-born director Sam Mendes, in 2003.

Her parents were at their Tilehurst home when they were woken at 4.30am on Sunday by the phone ringing, with news of Kate's best supporting actress win for her role in The Reader, in which she plays a former Nazi prison guard who has an affair with a teenager.

The phone rang again at 5.15am when she picked up the best actress for Revolutionary Road, in which she teams up with Leonardo DiCaprio to play a 1950s American couple trapped by their mundane lives.

Mrs Winslet said: "We had said to Kate to phone us on the mobile because of the time difference, and she said she would phone us if she won.

"The landline started ringing at about half past four but by the time I got to it, it had stopped.

"We stayed up and the phone rang again at about 5.15pm and it was Sam. He told us what had happened. We spoke to Kate too and she was incredibly excited, on a real high.

"She knew she was in with a chance for the best supporting actress, but the best actress was a complete shock. She always said she wouldn't win, I think she thought she was the rank outsider for that one.

"I've actually seen all the films in the best actress category and they're all so good. Anne Hathaway was the favourite for her film, Rachel Getting Married, and I've seen Changeling. Angelina Jolie was amazing."

Roger said: "With the first one, she felt she was in with a chance with the best supporting actress. But the other one, it was a total shock.

"Although her reaction may have seemed a bit over the top, it was completely natural.

"Apparently it's a first for someone to win both the best supporting actress and best actress.

"We're happy for her. Of course we're proud of her too, as we are of all our children equally."

This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 15 Jan 09

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