Kate Winslet details finding her character’s voice in ‘The Regime’

Kate Winslet revealed her unique approach to developing her character’s voice and accent for her role as Chancellor Elena Vernham in The Regime.

During an event in Los Angeles, the actress, 48, explained that she left voicemails for an executive producer in character, allowing her to tap into the mindset of the corrupt authoritarian leader.

Winslet’s process aimed to create a distinct voice that didn’t feel too familiar, ultimately shaping her portrayal of the controversial character.

“It never made sense to me to speak like myself,” she said, adding, “I didn’t quite know what that meant, or what I was going to do about it. I just knew that I had to find something that didn’t feel too close to me.”

The Oscar-winning actress experimented with her accent in the kitchen at home, receiving advice along the lines of “Don’t do that.”

The Titanic star also left voicemails for Jessica Hobbs, the film’s director and executive producer, who played Chancellor Vernham.

“It’s actually made my ears bleed,” the actress recounted.

It was Winslet’s way of gaining the courage to eventually try out the voice on director and executive producer Stephen Frears.

“I knew he was just going to have an opinion, and once it was out of his mouth, I wouldn’t be able to unhear it, and so I shared it with Jess [Hobbs], who was very positive in her response,” Winslet recalled. 

“So I sat Stephen down [and tried out the voice]. ‘Do you see if I just maybe did that? And then a little bit and talk to you slightly flirtatiously, I could probably get you to do anything … Luckily, he was laughing. He looked at me, and he said, ‘You’ve got to do that for six months.’ “