Kate Winslet on Directing Her Son’s Script Goodbye June

LONDON : In her transition from world-class actress to director, Kate Winslet chose a story that hit close to home. Goodbye June, premiering on Netflix this month, is a fictionalized drama inspired by the emotional backdrop of Winslet’s own family dynamics during the passing of her mother.

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Star, Winslet opened up about the experience of directing a script written by her son, Joe Anders, and why this particular story needed to be told.

When Winslet first read the script by Anders, she was struck by the authenticity of the characters. Specifically, the quiet moments between the characters Bernie and June resonated with her own history of loss.

Kate Winslet.

“I found those scenes probably to be among the most touching of all,” Winslet shared. “I lost my mother, but I was never in the room when my own parents were having those quiet conversations between themselves.”

While Joe Anders is an actor himself, his pivot to screenwriting was inspired by watching his own family navigate the “remarkable” geographic and emotional hurdles of coming together for a loved one. Winslet clarified that while the story is fictional, the “emotional backdrop” is rooted in reality.

“He realized very quickly that there are so many people that weren’t there [for a final goodbye],” Winslet explained. “Maybe it wasn’t a good goodbye… he drew from many different stories he was aware of and created this particular story.”

The collaboration created a unique dynamic on set—a mother and son navigating their respective “firsts” in the industry.

Kate Winslet.

“He has fantastic opinions and really great taste,” Winslet said of her son. “We do have a very close relationship… but it was special to work with him in a different way, as colleagues.”

Goodbye June explores the complexities of four siblings—including Julie, played by Winslet—as they struggle to balance their individual backgrounds with the shared goal of making their mother’s final days comfortable.

Goodbye June premieres on Netflix on December 24.