Kate Winslet Opens Up About Her Struggles with Starring in Her Directorial Debut ‘Goodbye June’

Kate Winslet Steps into Dual Role as Director and Star in ‘Goodbye June’

Kate Winslet is making her directorial debut with Goodbye June, a Christmas family drama written by her son, Joe Anders. Initially, Winslet planned only to produce and star in the film, but when the opportunity to direct arose, she expressed reservations about taking on multiple roles in a single production.

"I know I’m good at multitasking, but this is too many things,” Winslet told Digital Spy. “I desperately tried to recast myself [and] had a really good list of a handful of people who would have been absolutely brilliant in that role.”

Ultimately, Winslet decided to embrace the challenge, stating, “But at that point… well, first of all, Netflix were like, ‘Uh-uh’ and secondly, I’d cast all these incredible actors. How could I not go and play with them? Because that’s what we do. We play, we pretend and it’s an amazing thing.”

Goodbye June, which is currently showing in select theaters, will premiere on Netflix on December 24. The film follows four siblings—played by Winslet, Toni Collette, Andrea Riseborough, and Johnny Flynn—navigating their mother’s declining health during the holiday season. Helen Mirren stars as the ailing matriarch, whose condition worsens, prompting a family reunion filled with both tension and warmth.

Johnny Flynn, Andrea Riseborough, Timothy Spall, Kate Winslet, and Fisayo Akinade in ‘Goodbye June’
Kimberley French/Netflix

As Winslet navigates her new role, viewers are eager to see how her vision unfolds in Goodbye June, reflecting both the joys and struggles of family dynamics during trying times.