Some on-screen pairings are forever. Last night, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, the duo that made us scream about buoyancy and physics in Titanic, reunited once again—this time on land, where, thankfully, no one had to make room on a floating door. DiCaprio surprised the audience at a special screening of Winslet’s latest passion project, Lee, where he introduced his longtime friend and co-star with enough admiration to sink yet another unsinkable ship.
Standing before the crowd, DiCaprio didn’t just introduce Winslet; he practically handed her the emotional equivalent of a life vest. You know, the kind Rose didn’t use for Jack. “Kate Winslet has dedicated herself to the film and to honoring Lee’s legacy for over nine years,” he said, adding that he’d witnessed Winslet’s commitment firsthand. Lee, a biopic chronicling the complex and extraordinary life of British WWII photographer Lee Miller, has been a true labor of love for Winslet—something DiCaprio made clear when he spoke of her unwavering passion for bringing Miller’s story to the screen.
“Kate, my dear friend,” DiCaprio said, “your work in this film has been nothing short of transformative. I continue to be awestruck by your strength, integrity, talent, and the passion you bring to every single project.” As Winslet took the stage, visibly emotional, she couldn’t even make eye contact with DiCaprio without tears welling up: “I can’t even look at Leo now, or else I’ll cry,” she said, presumably thinking of how she let him freeze for no good reason.
Lee first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and despite its official release back in September, Winslet remains deeply devoted to the film’s journey. It’s not every day you get a passion project as personal as this—especially one that pulls in such a close-knit community of creative talent. Directed by Ellen Kuras, the film also features work from screenwriters Liz Hannah and John Collee, alongside fashion editor Marion Hume and the source biography author, Antony Penrose, who happens to be Miller’s son.
Miller’s legacy—as both a pioneering photographer and an indomitable witness to some of WWII’s darkest moments—resonates strongly with Winslet, who passionately told the audience, “Making this film for me was really about people showing up with good grace and being willing to support me in telling this story—a story that could have easily been hidden from view forever.”
DiCaprio, too, showed his admiration for Miller’s journey, describing her as a journalist who “shined a light in the darkest corners,” capturing the harsh reality of war through the lens of British Vogue. She bore witness to concentration camps and devastation across Europe, digging through the cracks and documenting moments that otherwise would have stayed in the shadows—images of women, children, and the missing. Lee Miller’s story, as DiCaprio reminded the crowd, was more than worth telling.
For Winslet and DiCaprio, it’s always been about more than the red carpets or blockbuster hits. Titanic might have been their monumental rise to fame—a wave that, much like Jack’s survival chances, they never really let go of—but their collaboration extends beyond that chilly bit of Atlantic trivia. They reteamed for Revolutionary Road in 2008 and have continued to support each other’s creative endeavors. Whether it’s Winslet championing Miller’s untold story or DiCaprio helming climate change documentaries, they bring out the best in each other. It’s always been about a shared commitment to telling important stories—and that connection? It’s something that’ll keep our hearts going on for a long time.
