Kate Winslet Was Once Told to Stick to ‘Fat Girl Parts’

Kate Winslet took home her third BAFTA award on Sunday for her role in Steve Jobs, and in her acceptance speech, she repeatedly praised her fellow nominees, saying, “It’s been an extraordinary year for women.”

Backstage afterwards, she dedicated her win to young women around the world, encouraging them to “keep believing” in themselves and sharing a story of how she was criticized for her looks as a teenager. “When I was younger, when I was only 14, I was told by a drama teacher that I might do okay if I was happy to settle for the fat girl parts,” Winslet told reporters backstage, before adding, “Look at me now! Look at me now.”

“So what I feel like saying in those moments is, to any young woman who has ever been put down by a teacher or a friend or even a parent, just don’t listen to any of it,” Winslet continued. “Because that’s what I did. I didn’t listen, and I kept on going, and I overcame all of my fears, and I got over a lot of insecurity. And just keep doing it, and keep believing in yourself.”

The Academy Award-winning actress — who is also nominated this year for Best Supporting Actress fo playing Apple executive Joanna Hoffman — added that she wanted to dedicate her BAFTA win to “all those young women who doubt themselves — because you shouldn’t be doubting. You should just be going for it.”

This article originally appeared on EW.com