Star Kate Winslet on reuniting with James Cameron in ‘Avatar’

• Kate Winslet completed a freediving boot camp before filming Avatar.
• She spent 7 minutes and 14 seconds underwater without breathing.
• Winslet played Ronal, the leader of the water-based Metkayina.

Kate Winslet, who survived the Titanic’s sinking, is no stranger to being punished by James Cameron when it comes to filming in and around water.

But Winslet isn’t one to back down from a challenge, and the duo’s on-set reunion became almost legendary among the cast of Avatar: The Way of Water.

After undergoing a freediving boot camp in preparation for the role, the English actress took to it like a duck to water.

Winslet is particularly proud of her time of 7 minutes and 14 seconds spent underwater without breathing.

That’s appropriate for someone playing Ronal, the leader of the water-based Metkayina, the inhabitants of Pandora’s coral reefs.

In an interview with Empire, Winslet talked about what drew her back to Cameron and why she felt the time was right to join the world of Avatar, even if Cameron was surprised she went back to film in the water again. “I absolutely loved the first Avatar film,” Winslet said. She went on to say:

“The deeper themes it conveys about our declining planet were extremely poignant, and that mattered to me. So, I had no reservations at all. Plus, I was jumping into a well-oiled machine, so I was excited to think that everything they had learned as filmmakers from the first movie, would have only been ironed out and amplified in its second go around. And that’s fun!”

Furthermore, joining such a well-oiled machine, and a “Pandora family,” as she describes it, was all part of the appeal for Winslet, who has gone on to have a wildly successful career since her breakthrough role as Rose DeWitt Bukater in Titanic alongside Leonardo DiCaprio all those years ago.

“I was just excited about all of it. To work with Sig and Zoe and Sam, of course. But to be a part of something that was so impactful and important on its first outing, was just so exciting. Everyone welcomed me immediately into the Pandora family. All the kids were adorable and want[ed] to learn all the time. And that was one of my favourite parts of the process actually… to be able to give those teenagers a bit of guidance here and there. Because it’s tough when you are young and learning on the job, and sometimes it’s a challenge just to put your vulnerabilities to one side and focus. So, getting to spend time with them was something I really valued. Because I understood what some of them may have felt like – those feelings of being nervous and awkward when you are embarking on a career in film at such a young age.”

In Avatar: The Way of Water, Winslet plays Ronal, a “formidable female character,” as she describes it.

The film opens in theatres on December 16. Watch the trailer below:

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