Kate Winslet's double win at the Golden Globes has made her a favorite in the race for an Oscar this year. On today's "List", we take a comprehensive look at her acting career.

The Reader

Kate Winslet was born into a family of thespians in Britain on October 5th, 1975. Her parents, grandparents and an uncle were all actors. Kate found her talent at an early age. She scored her first professional gig at 11, dancing in a commercial for a kids' cereal. She started acting lessons around the same time. Over the next few years she appeared on stage and TV regularly.

Her first big break came at age 17, when she was cast as an obsessive adolescent in "Heavenly Creatures". The film was roundly praised by critics. It led Kate to Ang Lee's "Sense and Sensibility" the following year. She beat out a hundred other hopefuls for the part of plucky Marianne Dashwood. Her efforts were rewarded with both a British Academy Award and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.