Kate Winslet: James Cameron “Much More Calm” on ‘Avatar’ Than “Tough” ‘Titanic’ Set

It’s been 25 years between Kate Winslet and James Cameron’s two blockbuster projects together—1997’s Titanic and the upcoming Avatar: The Way of Water. And according to both parties, there’s a reason for the decades-long hiatus. 

While promoting their previous Oscar-winning epic way back when, Winslet told reporters that Cameron “has a temper like you wouldn’t believe” and that “there were times I was genuinely frightened of him.” She spoke of 90-hour work weeks and contracting hypothermia after long periods spent filming in freezing waters. At the time, Winslet even stated: “You’d have to pay me a lot of money to work with Jim again.”

With some time Winslet told The Telegraph recently that while the Titanic set was “tough,” Cameron is a “genius,” adding, “I loved doing Avatar with Jim—he is much more calm now. In those days there was no space for him to say, ‘It might not work.’ He had to make it work. There were all those conversations about this huge film, Titanic. I can’t imagine the pressure. As we get older we learn how to say, ‘I made a mistake.’ We all get better at that, don’t we?”

Cameron has acknowledged his growth in colorful soundbites on the Avatar sequel’s press tour. In an interview with The New York Times, he spoke about previously wearing a hat with an acronym that stood for “head motherfucker in charge” to set. “I don’t think I [wore] the HMFIC hat on the new Avatar,” he said. “This is the kinder, gentler me. This is the mellow, Zen nice guy, sensitive to everybody’s needs and emotional requirements. No microaggressions here. Which is usually good for about the first two weeks.”

Speaking to Radio Times (via The Independent), Cameron agreed that Winslet experienced her fair share of heartache on their previous project together. “I think Kate came out of Titanic a bit traumatized by the scale of the production and her responsibility within it,” he said. “We’ve both been eager over time to work together again, to see what the other is about at this point in our lives and careers. She’s very large and in charge on set. You’d swear she was producing the film!”

Avatar: The Way of Water debuts in theaters on December 16.