Kate Winslet says making Goodbye June with her son was ‘extraordinary’

By Casey Cooper-Fiske, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

Actress Kate Winslet has said making her latest film, Goodbye June, with her son Joe Anders was an “extraordinary experience”.

The 50-year-old directs and stars in the Christmas movie, which was written by Anders, and follows four siblings whose lives change when their mother’s health takes a turn for the worse during the festive period.

Speaking on the BBC’s The Graham Norton Show, Winslet said: “My wonderful son wrote it, he did a screenwriting course and was encouraged to write from the heart and the most significant thing that had happened to him was the loss of his grandmother when he was 13.

“When I read it, I said, ‘you’ve written a film and we are going to make it’, I knew I couldn’t let it go so now at 50 years old I am a director. It was an extraordinary experience.”

The film also stars Dame Helen Mirren, who Winslet says broke one of her own rules to appear in the film.

She added: “When I was telling her about the film, she said, ‘I am going to stop you because I have two personal rules, I will not play anyone with dementia or anyone with cancer’.

“She still asked to see the script, and then she sent me an email saying she was breaking her own rule because it was such a wonderful project.”

The Titanic actress also spoke about appearing in the third instalment of the Avatar film series, telling Norton she could not speak about it.

She added: “I do get to hold my breath underwater again and this time I fight underwater too, it was hard and I never quite mastered it.”

Goodbye June is released in UK cinemas on December 12 before it will be available on streaming platform Netflix on Christmas Eve.

The full interview can be seen on the Graham Norton Show on BBC One and iPlayer on Friday at 10.40pm.