Kate's Scandi Noir

Film star Kate Winslet uncovers dark tales in her Swedish roots

As Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet looks into her family tree for this week’s Who Do You Think You Are?, she is quick to dispel any commonly held assumptions that she comes from well-to-do stock.

‘I ain’t posh, mate,’ she laughs. ‘I was born in Reading and my parents never had money; it was always a struggle. But we were happy. My dad, Roger, who was an actor, always had to get whatever odd job he could.’

But it’s her mum Sally, who lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 2017, who inspired Winslet to take part in the genealogy show and follow up a long-held family story.

EXTREME POVERTY

‘My mum absolutely loved children and that sense of family has carried on in all of us,’ says Winslet, 43. ‘We all miss her terribly; she was the centre of the family. Since she died, I wanted to know more about where I come from. Mum didn’t talk about her family history much, but I remember there was a rumour about a Scandinavian link, so that’s something I always wanted to know about.’