“I think women in general, we’re hard on ourselves all the time. It’s a terrible waste of energy,” the actress said Kate Winslet is opening up about the importance of making mistakes. The actress spoke to PEOPLE at the Women In Film (WIF) annual gala on Oct. 24 in Beverly Hills, where the Lee star received The Crystal Award for Advocacy in Film. While it was a night for celebration, Winslet, 49, made it clear that the journey to success isn’t always linear.
When asked about the advice she has for younger women coming up in the industry, the Mare of Easttown star had much to say.
“It’s such an interesting question, because I give it a lot of advice all the time,” the actress told PEOPLE exclusively.
“The main thing I say is that mistakes are not only celebrated, but they’re important,” she continued. “Because if we don’t make mistakes, we can absolutely never learn. And we all make mistakes, and there is no such thing as perfect. And just to completely be themselves. Because if they can be themselves, they’ve always got that to hang on to and to keep them grounded.”
And how does the Titanic actress actually get through those mistakes?
“Honestly, dig deep, keep going, and just believe in myself,” Winslet said.
“I mean, that’s honestly what I do. And try not to be hard on myself. I think women in general, we’re hard on ourselves all the time. It’s a terrible waste of energy, and I don’t ever want to look back at my life and think to myself, ‘I wish I had been kinder on myself.’ I want to do that now, and always be doing that. So that’s what I do.”
Winslet received The Crystal Award for Advocacy in Film for her role in her new biopic Lee, which explores the life of American model-turned-war photographer Lee Miller. Winslet championed the project for over a decade and also produced it.
After accepting the award, which was presented by fellow Oscar winner Marion Cotillard, Winslet offered further advice to women in the industry.
She began by recounting a meeting she had with a potential male financier for Lee.
“I sat with one guy,” Winslet recalled, “[…] And he leans in all keen and excited, and he goes, ‘Tell me. Why should I like this woman?’”
“And of course, I wanted to scream,” Winslet said. “I wanted to scream. I wanted to say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, because she’s slightly saggy and middle-aged and has got the marks and scars of her life written all over her face and has PTSD that makes her dislikable? To me, of course, that makes her eternally fascinating.”
“So in that moment, I held my nerve,” the actress said.
“So I would say, hold your nerve, girls. Don’t take no for an answer. Don’t make films with people who don’t want to make your film with you. They do not deserve to be on your set. They do not deserve that right, and keep going. And really don’t take no for an answer.”
The star-studded event was also attended by Jane Fonda (who was also a presenter), Kerry Washington, Joey King, Lili Reinhart, and more. Other award recipients of the night included Annette Benning and Michelle Bateau.