Here's How Much Money Kate Winslet Made From Titanic

Titanic may have told the tragic tale of a sinking ship (the RMS Titanic, which sank into the Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912 after hitting an iceberg), but the film itself was anything but. 

Made for $210 million (the "the most expensive film ever made at the time," per The Hollywood Reporter), James Cameron's epic sailed to a massive profit of $2.2 billion globally, per THR, earning 11 Oscar nominations at the 70th annual Academy Awards. The 1997 blockbuster is one of the most commercially and critically successful films ever, and its core, of course, was the eternal love between its two stars. Kate Winslet played the well-to-do Rose DeWitt Bukater, Leonardo DiCaprio the scrappy artist Jack Dawson who'd change her world. Their on-screen chemistry drew us in, "like one of your French girls," and the then-21-year old actor and her handsome counterpart, 22 at the time, went on to become humongous stars.

"I closed the script, wept floods of tears and said, 'Right, I've absolutely got to be a part of this. No two ways about it," Winslet told Rolling Stone. 

Today, Titanic's impact on pop culture is as massive as ever. Saturday Night Live's Bowen Yang even went viral in 2021 for portraying the film's fatal iceberg in a hilarious Weekend Update skit. Simply put, it's a classic. 

So it's worth asking, how much money did Winslet actually make for her iconic role as Rose? Hold on to your floating door and scroll down to find out. 

So how much money did Kate Winslet get paid for 1997's Titanic? Though the exact number is unconfirmed, IMDb reports the actor earned $2 million for the role. That may not seem like a boatload, considering the film's massive budget and success, but given that Winslet was a relative newcomer at the time (her first film role was in 1994's Heavenly Creatures), it's impressive. And an investment that paid off. Winslet has, of course, gone on to run the gamut, starring in 2004's Finding Neverland, 2008's Revolutionary Road (once again across from Leonardo DiCaprio), 2006's rom-com The Holiday, which grossed $205 million worldwide, and much more. To date, Winslet is worth $65 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. It's safe to say Titanic was a fantastic career move.

"James [Cameron] took a risk in casting me," Winslet told USA Today. "A lot of my contemporaries — Uma Thurman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Winona Ryder — were much more likely candidates. I got lucky." 

Aside from a massive boon to her career, Winslet also got a lifelong friendship with DiCaprio (who reportedly earned $2.5 million, per MTV). "It's one of those rare Hollywood friendships that I just feel very, very blessed to have," Winslet told Good Morning America. DiCaprio even walked the actor down the aisle for her third wedding. Aw! Winslet's Titanic salary may not have been... "titanic," so to speak. But its ripple effect can't be denied!