When Anne Sebba’s house became a film set, she didn’t expect an A-list star to end up staying the night

It’s not every day that I enter my own kitchen to find Kate Winslet whipping up scrambled eggs for ten. And no, this was not a dream. What’s more, I can report that, impressively, Winslet does her own washing up.

I had agreed to lend my house for a film in which she was not only starring but, for the first time, was also directing — from a script written by her 21-year-old son, Joe Anders. This was a very personal film for her, which was why, a week before filming was due to begin, she had asked if she could “borrow” my basement kitchen for a day-long rehearsal with the other key actors — Johnny Flynn, Andrea Riseborough, Toni Collette and Timothy Spall. She wanted to make sure that when filming started they could hit the ground running. Keeping her crew happy with lovingly prepared eggs on toast during the break was a crucial part of the procedure.

Read the rest of the article in The Times