Kate Winslet has opened up about how proud she feels watching her children forge their own creative paths, especially her 21-year-old son Joe, whose leap into screenwriting and film direction has turned their latest project into a full-blown family milestone. Speaking warmly about their collaboration on the Netflix drama Goodbye June, Winslet has described the experience as both emotional and exhilarating as she watched Joe’s words and vision come to life on screen.
Kate’s Pride in Joe’s Success
At recent promotional events, Winslet has been visibly beaming as she talks about Joe Anders, the son she shares with director Sam Mendes, and his journey from film-obsessed kid to credited screenwriter and emerging filmmaker. She has spoken about how deeply Joe understands cinema and how moving it was to see him stay involved on set every day, guiding the story he had created and standing confidently alongside seasoned crew and actors.
Winslet has admitted that when Goodbye June was ready to move forward, she initially came on board as producer and star, only to realize she could not bear to hand Joe’s script over to a stranger. The thought of another director taking control of his first produced screenplay, she said, felt almost like a physical jolt, which pushed her to step in and direct the film herself so she could protect and amplify her son’s vision.
Why She Took the Director’s Chair
Goodbye June, a bittersweet Christmas drama about adult siblings grappling with their mother’s worsening health, marks Winslet’s feature directorial debut for Netflix, with Joe’s script as its emotional core. Winslet has explained that once she understood how personal the material was to him, she wanted to make sure he was there for every creative decision, from blocking scenes to shaping performances, rather than being sidelined once production began.
She has also talked about the delicate balance of giving Joe honest feedback while keeping his confidence intact, describing how she learned to phrase suggestions gently when she felt a scene or line could be handled differently. For Winslet, the film became as much about mentoring her son through his first major industry experience as it was about delivering a moving story for audiences.
A Talented Family in Front and Behind the Camera
Joe is not the only one making strides in the business: Winslet’s eldest daughter, actress Mia Honey Threapleton, has been earning praise for her own work, including a breakout role in Wes Anderson’s 2025 film The Phoenician Scheme. The BBC singled Mia out as the break-out star of the movie, underlining how talent now runs visibly through multiple branches of Winslet’s family.
At the London premiere of Goodbye June, Mia was spotted cheering from the audience and later affectionately patting Joe on the back as the siblings left the screening together, a moment that underlined the family’s tight bond and shared pride. Winslet later joked that despite the intensity of working so closely together, her relationship with Joe survived the shoot intact, adding with a smile that we still love each other.
How Motherhood Shapes Winslet’s Career Choices
Winslet has long spoken about how motherhood influences her decisions, but Goodbye June appears to represent a new chapter in which her children’s ambitions actively steer her professional path. Instead of choosing the project solely as a vehicle for herself, she has framed the film as an opportunity to spotlight Joe’s writing, using her decades of experience and industry clout to open doors for him that would otherwise take years to unlock.
She has also highlighted how special it felt to stand on stage with Joe at the film’s world premiere, describing the night as a culmination of years of watching him quietly study cinema, write, and dream about directing. For Winslet, the pride is not just in the finished film, but in seeing her son step into his own as a creative force, with Goodbye June serving as both her first feature as a director and his first produced script.
The Future for Joe and Goodbye June
With Goodbye June set for a limited theatrical run before landing on Netflix, industry attention is focused not only on Winslet’s transition behind the camera but also on Joe’s emergence as a writer with a strong, emotional voice. Early coverage has emphasized that their collaboration feels unusually personal, rooted in family dynamics and loss, themes that may resonate strongly with holiday audiences.
As Winslet continues her acclaimed acting career and takes on more producing and directing responsibilities, she has hinted that this may be only the beginning of future partnerships with her children. For now, though, she appears content to stand slightly to the side of the spotlight, watching Joe step forward and savoring a rare Hollywood story where a mother’s pride in her son is as compelling as any role she has ever played.
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