Kate Winslet brings Hollywood glam to Sydney: ‘I haven’t been here in a long time’

Superstar actress Kate Winslet has travelled to Sydney for the Aussie premiere of her new movie Lee at the Randwick Ritz. Find out why she’s “really excited” to be here.

Acting great Kate Winslet has hand delivered her latest big screen effort Down Under.

The Academy Award winner walked the black carpet at Sydney’s Randwick Ritz for the Australian premiere of her critically acclaimed film, Lee.

“It is very exciting and I haven’t been here in a long time actually to launch a film so I am really excited about it,” Winslet told The Daily Telegraph.

Kate Winslet attends the gala screening of Lee at Ritz Cinemas on October 20, 2024 in Sydney. (Photo by Hanna Lassen/Getty Images)

Lee sees Winslet take on the story of American war correspondent Lee Miller.

Directed by Ellen Kuras, it also stars Andy Samberg, Alexander Skarsgard and Marion Cotillard.

Miller was a pioneer and visionary of her time, first rising to fame as a model before going behind the lens and working for British Vogue.

During World War II, she wanted to contribute and made her way to the frontline, first in France and then Germany as the Nazi concentration camps were opening.

Her extraordinary photographs are considered some of the most indelible of that time.

“For me, it was an untold story,” Winslet said of the significance of bringing Miller’s life to the big screen.

Winslett in a scene from Lee. Picture - Kimberley French

“We need to bring these women of historical importance out of the shadows, we need to tell their stories because even then, 80 years ago Lee Miller was redefining what it means to be feminine to mean resilience and power and compassion and togetherness and all of those things that I live my life by and my friends and my sisters live their lives by.

“What she did in terms of documenting the war effort and what was happening to victims on the frontline, the voiceless victims of conflict were so phenomenally important.

“Her work, many people have seen it but they might not have known that they have seen her work and some people will hopefully see the film and they might not have known who Lee Miller was at all until this moment and that is very exciting to me.”

Kate Winslet, Antony Penrose, Kate Soloman and Liz Hayes at the gala screening of Lee. Picture: Hanna Lassen/Getty Images

Miller’s real-life son, Antony Penrose, also attended the Sydney screening ahead of the film opening in cinemas nationally from Thursday.

Winslet, 49, has won numerous awards over her more than three decade year career, among them an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, five BAFTA’s and five Golden Globes. She won her Oscar for The Reader in 2009.