Star to Watch

KATE WINSLET

By R. Kurt Osenlund, film critic and correspondent

One of the most gifted and respected actresses in Hollywood, Kate Winslet certainly needs no introduction. In addition to starring in one of the most tremendously successful box-office hits of all time ("Titanic"), the the 33-year-old England native also holds the record of being the youngest person ever to have garnered five Oscar nominations. While she has yet to claim an Academy Award, she's received multiple accolades from the Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA, The National Society of Film Critics, and even won a Grammy.

Similar to her colleague, the great Meryl Streep, Winslet is a transformative performer, capable of tackling a wide array of character types. She's portrayed a murderous teenager, a romantic aristocrat, a Jane Austen heroine, an eccentric modern woman, and a desperate housewife, to name a few. As her record-breaking career highlights show, she's got talent and insight far beyond her years.

This December, Winslet will be appearing in two prestigious pictures, both of them gathering some considerable Oscar buzz for their star. In "Revolutionary Road" (directed by Winslet's husband, Sam Mendes), Winslet plays an unsatisfied suburban woman and reunites with her "Titanic" co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio. In "The Reader" (directed by "The Hours" helmer, Stephen Daldry), she tries her hand at a German accent as a former Nazi on trial for war crimes. If the Academy is impressed with her work (as they usually are), she'll not only continue her record-breaking tradition, she may just have to make some room on her shelf.