Britain’s Winslet finds it hard playing ... a Brit
From Bob Tourtellotte

LOS ANGELES—Born and raised in England, and a resident of London, Kate Winslet ought to have an easy time playing a modern British woman. Right?
Wrong! In comedy film “The Holiday,” which debuts in the United States on December 8, Winslet, 31, plays a Londoner who finds romance while on vacation in Los Angeles.
“I was surprised how nervous I was just playing an English woman,” Winslet told reporters recently.
In roughly 15 years in movies, the “Titanic” star has played English women in historical films like “Sense and Sensibility” and American women in contemporary works such as “Little Children,” a movie now showing in which Winslet’s performance is being called worthy of an Oscar nomination.
But never has she played the type of woman she really is.
“I did not like the feeling, initially; I thought: ‘Well, what do you mean I can’t hide behind something? What do you mean I don’t have a wig or an accent or a strange costume?’ It was me and my hair and my voice and clothes I would choose to wear,” she said. “It was definitely harder than I thought.”
“The Holiday” is a romantic comedy, which was another departure for the actress best known for dramas. And the idea of making people laugh sent fear through Winslet’s mind.
“The worry of ‘Can I be funny?’ It is a terrible thing to be concerned about,” she said.
Winslet added that she and “Holiday” co-star Jude Law would talk about the movie before filming and wonder what might happen if director Nancy Meyer grew bored with them.
“They are going to fire us. They’re going to recast. What if we don’t make them laugh?” she said.
Fire Winslet? Hardly.

CONSIDERING KATE
When looking for an actress to play the role of the love-starved Brit, Meyer, the director of comedies like “Private Benjamin” and “Something’s Gotta Give,” said Winslet was a top choice among possible candidates.
“If you’re thinking of a British girl, 30, you think of Kate,” she said.
This year in Hollywood, a lot of people will have Winslet on their mind.
The actress who has been nominated for four Oscars is again among the leading contenders for the world’s top film honours for her portrayal of a bored housewife who begins an extra-marital affair in dark drama “Little Children.”
And “The Holiday” could play a pivotal role in whether she is able to earn a nomination because historically, voters at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have honoured actresses who can manifest talent in a wide range of work.
This year, Winslet has played a troubled daughter in a rich family in “All The King’s Men,” the cheating spouse Sarah in “Little Children” and the good-humoured Iris in “Holiday.”
However, she faces stiff competition from Cate Blanchett who also appears in three diverse roles this Oscar season in “Babel,” “The Good German” and “Notes on a Scandal.”
Other actresses winning early plaudits include Penelope Cruz in “Volver,” Helen Mirren in “Queen Elizabeth,” and Dame Judi Dench for “Notes on a Scandal.”
Winslet said she does not read her reviews, so she is “blissfully unaware” of all the awards talk. Still, she added that she is humbled by the attention.
“I do take it very seriously. Of course I do. I’m an actress trying to do the best job I can, and when you get that kind of pat on the back and acknowledgment from the industry ... that’s huge!,” she said.