Kate Winslet used a surprisingly ‘forceful’ tactic to land her iconic Titanic role

Kate Winslet used a sweet but 'forceful' tactic to win director James Cameron over after auditioning for the role of Rose in Titanic.

Winslet has long been viewed as one of Hollywood’s more down-to-earth and candid stars, but filmmaker Cameron noted that the actress actually has a 'very forceful personality', which was evident during the audition process for Titanic.

Just 19 when she was cast in the iconic role of Rose Dawson Calvert, Winslet turns 51 today (October 5) - but she was far from naive when it came to convincing Cameron she was his leading lady.

"She sent me a note and a single red rose," the iconic filmmaker recalled, during a press conference about the making of the movie in 2023.

'I'm your Rose', she allegedly wrote on a piece of paper, as the director added: "It was like, okay, Kate. You get it. You want to do this. It's like, we get it.

"And by the way, we will make our own decision. But Kate is a very forceful personality and she does sort of manifest her will into the world around her."

Cameron noted that her attitude is 'apparent' to this day, now producing her own films.

She was just 19 when cast in Titanic. (CBS via Getty Images)

But the iconic role wasn't the only thing that drew her in about starring in the Oscar-winning blockbuster.

"She was very enthusiastic when she came out of the reading with Leo," he recalled, admitting he immediately saw the 'chemistry' between the two.

"You know, I'm not blind, deaf, and dumb, and she reiterated that afterwards," Cameron said.

Winslet reportedly told the director that DiCaprio was 'the guy' almost instantly after reading with him.

The two had 'chemistry' from the beginning, according to Cameron. (CBS via Getty Images)

Reflecting on her time filming the movie speaking with BAFTA, the mom-of-three described it as a 'huge moment' in her life.

"It was a big turning point moment," she said, "And you know my life did change really overnight."

She added: "I mean I remember one day being able to go and buy a newspaper and a pint of milk no problem, and the next day I actually couldn’t get out of the house because of paparazzi."

Cameron also said of the pair: "They were young, but they were both already well on their way.

"I also think it's fair for us not to take credit for launching their careers. You know, Leo had already done Romeo + Juliet, which lofted him into that kind of leading man position."

Prior to Titanic, she had already built a pretty impressive résumé, including Heavenly Creatures (1994), Sense and Sensibility (1995), and Hamlet (1995).