Every Hollywood dream starts somewhere. For Mia Threapleton, that moment came when she was just ten, confessing her burgeoning ambition to become an actress to her mother, Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet. There were no dramatic pronouncements, just a relatable moment of surprise. “I remember her being quite caught off-guard, going, ‘Oh, really? OK.’” Threapleton, who stars in the upcoming Wes Anderson film The Phoenician Scheme, tells The Sunday Times, recalling that pivotal conversation.
That initial, perhaps unexpected, “OK” was all the quiet encouragement Mia needed. By the time she was fifteen, she wasn’t relying on her mother’s famous name to open doors. Instead, with a determination that speaks volumes, Threapleton signed herself up to online casting sites, eager “to try and see what was out there.” It was a deliberate step towards forging her own identity in a notoriously competitive industry.
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“I wanted to do that on my own,” she tells the media outlet, a clear statement of her independent spirit, almost anticipating the questions that often follow children of well-known personalities. When the topic of navigating the industry with famous parents arises, and the suggestion that it might be an “easy ride,” Mia responds with a thoughtful candor. She offers a nervous laugh, admitting, “I don’t really know how to answer that, to be honest.”
It’s a sentiment many in her position might share. When faced with the idea that one can’t choose their parents, Threapleton agrees with a simple, relatable truth. “I mean, you can’t,” she says. “You can’t.” Another laugh follows, but as noted by observers, there’s a “resolute flash in those icy blue eyes that signals she’d really rather move on,” a quiet indication of her desire to be recognized for her own merits.
While she’s carving her own path, has her Oscar-winning mother offered any golden nuggets of acting wisdom? Absolutely. And it’s refreshingly practical. “Read the damn script as many times as you can!” Threapleton reveals. It’s advice that underscores the craft and dedication required, no matter your surname.
This emphasis on diligence seems to be the cornerstone of the support she’s received. While some might assume a famous parent provides countless shortcuts, Mia describes a more empowering, hands-off approach. “She was very, very encouraging of me doing it on my own and for myself, having the experiences being mine and mine alone,” Threapleton explains. This encouragement for independence was always coupled with a strong dose of reality about the profession. “But she always — I mean, always — emphasized the hard work that goes into it and the effort that needs to go into it.”
The Phoenician Scheme, a Wes Anderson-helmed film, is slated to hit U.S. theaters in June 2025.
