Melanie Lynskey enjoyed starring opposite Kate Winslet in 1994’s Heavenly Creatures — but distance impacted their friendship once the movie wrapped.
“When I lost touch with Kate, it was more heartbreaking than some breakups that I’ve had,” the Yellowjackets actress, 45, recalled during a Thursday, April 20, appearance on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast. “It was so painful and it wasn’t like anything happened. It’s just she became a gigantic, international movie star and she didn’t have a lot of time and then, suddenly, she’d be in Los Angeles and not have time.”
Lynskey and the Titanic star, 47, met on the set of Heavenly Creatures, which was filmed in the Sweet Home Alabama actress’ native New Zealand. The movie, directed by Peter Jackson, follows Winslet’s Juliet after she moves with her family from England to Christchurch, New Zealand. The teenager quickly sparks a friendship with Lynskey’s Pauline. Juliet and Pauline’s passionate bond ultimately leads to murder.
While the movie marked breakout roles for both Winslet and Lynskey, Heavenly Creatures, which even earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay, soon catapulted Winslet to widespread fame. As she went off to film her next blockbuster hits while Lynskey stayed in New Zealand, they “gradually” lost touch.
Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey in ‘Heavenly Creatures’ Snap/Shutterstock
“It happens in relationships. People kind of drift apart, but that was so painful for me,” the Last of Us star confessed to host Josh Horowitz, noting she has also had similar experiences with other costars. “I did this movie with this actor and when we were finished I said, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m just so happy that I met you and we have this friendship,’ and she said, ‘Yeah, I’m not friends with actors. I don’t stay friends with actors.’ And I was just like, ‘What?’ I was so shocked by it.”
Lynskey added: “I was so sensitive. I was always so injured by losing these great loves I was having. You know, It got easier.”
The Ever After actress — who shares a 4-year-old daughter with her husband, Jason Ritter — last saw Winslet at the 2009 premiere of Away We Go, calling it “so fun” to reunite for the first time.
“She was a huge inspiration for me [after I watched] the way she was handling all that as young as she was,” the Togetherness alum said on Thursday, referring to the frequent criticism of the British actress’ body during her early years in Hollywood. “I know she’s a very, very confident person, but everyone’s sensitive and she’s very sensitive. … I remember, at the time, being so furious on her behalf, especially because Kate Winslet is now in the world [and] doing movies, and you’re getting to witness that talent and those performances. This is an actor who comes along once in a generation; just focus on that.”
Lynskey continued: “It infuriated me so much and I just was always amazed by how gracefully she handled all of that. It was always really impressive.”
The Emmy Award nominee, who is also a fervent body positive advocate, previously revealed that she and Winslet had a “very intense” friendship while filming Heavenly Creatures.
“It was more intense than some love affairs that I have had in my life. We developed such a bond that for a long time we couldn’t let it go,” Lynskey told Time in 2012. “We would write each other letters and talk on the phone all the time. We were in constant contact for so long. Then around the time of Titanic, her life got crazy because she became a superstar. I was staying with her right after she filmed that and then we totally lost touch at that time. I admire her so much though.”
