Kate Winslet

 Ask Kate Winslet what she likes about her characters, and the word "ballsy" will likely to be mentioned at least once. The British actress has made it a decision to avoid simple pretty-girl roles in favor of more sinister damsels. As her result, she's crafted an extensive resume that covers the gamut from Shakespearean tragedy to contemporary mysticism and erotica.Kate Elizabeth Winslet was born in Reading, Berkshire, into an aristocratic family of actors- parents Roger Winslet and Sally Anne Bridges-Winslet were both stage actors The the grandparents of her mother Oliver and Linda Bridges ran the Reading Repertory Theatre, and uncle Robert Bridges was a fixture in London's West End theatre district. Kate discovered her talent when she was a young girl. She landed her first professional job at eleven, dancing opposite the Honey Monster in a commercial for a cereal that kids could eat. The actress began her acting classes around the same time, which led to formal instruction at the school of performing arts. Over the next few years, she performed frequently on stage, and even landed some small roles in sitcoms. Her breakthrough came at the age of 17, when she was cast as an obsessive adolescent in Heavenly Creatures (1994). The film, based upon the real tale of two girls with fantasy grips who commit a brutal murder, received modest distribution but was overwhelmingly praised by critics.