In a delightful encounter during the filming of her latest project, ‘Lee’, actress Kate Winslet shared an unexpected reunion with a familiar face from her iconic role in ‘Titanic’. As Winslet watched celebrated composer Alexandre Desplat conduct a 120-piece orchestra for ‘Lee’’s score, she noticed a violinist who seemed oddly familiar.
In a recent appearance on ‘The Graham Norton Show’, Winslet recalled the moment: “I’m looking at this violinist, and I thought, ‘I know that face.’” Then, the memory clicked. She realized the musician was the very same violinist from the emotional final scenes of ‘Titanic’, as the ship is sinking, and the band famously plays on. “You know when the Titanic is going down, and the violinist stands up and says, ‘Come on, lads,’ and starts playing? It was that guy!” Winslet recounted with excitement, adding, “It was amazing.”
The violinist she recognized is Jonathan Evans-Jones, a member of the chamber ensemble I Salonisti, founded in 1981. In ‘Titanic’, Evans-Jones, along with his fellow musicians, helped create one of the film’s most memorable moments, capturing the resolve and bravery of the ship’s band.
Winslet noted that this wasn’t the only emotional reunion during the filming of ‘Lee’. “It was just wonderful; there were so many moments like that, where people I’ve either worked with before or known for a long time showed up for me. It was incredible,” she shared.
Winslet’s portrayal of Rose in ‘Titanic’, a romance set against the tragedy of the doomed ship, marked one of the most celebrated roles of her career. The 1997 film, directed by James Cameron, paired Winslet with Leonardo DiCaprio, whose characters—Rose, a wealthy debutante, and Jack, a struggling artist—fall in love aboard the ill-fated vessel. ‘Titanic’ went on to win 11 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, with Winslet herself receiving a nomination for Best Actress.
Now, nearly three decades after ‘Titanic’’s release, Kate Winslet is taking on new challenges in ‘Lee’, where she plays Elizabeth “Lee” Miller, a fashion model turned WWII photographer. The biopic, directed by Ellen Kuras and premiered in September, offers a look at Miller’s remarkable life and career.