When you watch Kate Winslet on screen, her natural ability to morph into characters leaves no doubt that she was born to act. She would likely agree. "It's in my family to act," she told The New York Times. "I always knew that this was what I wanted to do." She grew up in Reading, England, where her grandparents had a repertory theater. Her father, Roger John Winslet, was an actor, as well as her uncle Robert Bridges, who was a cast member of the original West End production of "Oliver!"

But her family's roots in the theater weren't all that glamorous. She described her father as a "jobbing" actor, who took on odd jobs to support his family, per The Sun (via Hindustan Times). "I come from a family of actors who lived their lives, and still do rather stubbornly, on a shoestring," she said, noting that money was tight. With this in mind, Winslet kept her job at a deli after landing her first movie role, thinking she'd need to fall back on it between gigs, according to BerkshireLive.

Along with a love for acting, Winslet credits her father for instilling her strong work ethic. "He would always say to me, 'You know what, baby? You have got to keep on keepin' on. You can only do your best, and your best is good enough, kid,'" she shared. "He still says it to me now. It's wonderful to have that."