Kate Winslet is speaking out about body shamers and the value of self-esteem. “I had been bullied at school,” the Oscar winner told an audience of children at a recent We Day U.K. charity event in London. The Evening Standard reports that the actress revealed that she was called “Blubber.” “[They] teased me for wanting to act. Locked me in the cupboard. Laughed at me,” she recalled.

“I wasn’t the prettiest,” Winslet shared. “I was even told that I might be lucky in my acting if I was happy to settle for the fat-girl parts. [Casting agents] would say, ‘You’re just not what we’re looking for, Kate.’ I’d hear that a lot.”

But the fact that Winslet is a household name should tell you just how terrible these casting agents were at their job. They failed to notice a world-class talent because of their superficial expectations about what an actress should — and could — look like.

“I didn’t lock myself away and give up on my dream,” Winslet emphasized. “I fought back. I had to ignore the negative comments. I had to believe in myself. I had to choose to rise above it all, and I had to work hard. You have to be indestructible to do what you love, and believe that you are worth it. And sometimes that’s the hardest part,” she admitted.

“One day, I was cast as Rose in ‘Titanic,’” Winslet said of the role that made her an international star. “The most unlikely candidate — Kate from the sandwich shop in Reading — suddenly acting in one of the biggest movies ever made! You can be from anywhere and you can do anything, believe it. It is possible to overcome your fears.”

“I learned to embrace my flaws, to make no apology for who I am,” she told the attendees. “I dug deep and I decided that I simply wouldn’t listen when they said my body didn’t fit. This is who I am, the real me, Kate from Reading.”

As inspiring as Winslet’s message is, it’s important to remember that it’s 2017 and pretty much every Hollywood actress still faces relentless scrutiny about their weight — whether they are being told they are too fat or too thin, though let’s be real, it’s usually the former. While more and more people are beginning to learn about body shaming — and recognizing its toxic causes and effects — the problem is far from over.

And we all know this bullshit certainly doesn’t just happen in the entertainment industry. Women’s body sizes are policed everywhere, all the time, and it’s unacceptable. Kudos to Winslet for ignoring her critics and continuing to pursue her dream. Widely considered to be one of the best actors of her generation, she knew what she was capable of — even if her peers and casting agents refused to see it. We’re grateful to see Winslet speaking candidly about what were obviously difficult times. Her message of self-acceptance is an important one.

Winslet has received a total of seven Oscar nominations, and won in 2009 for “The Reader.” Her other credits include Jocelyn Moorhouse’s “The Dressmaker,” “Steve Jobs,” “Mildred Pierce,” “Revolutionary Road,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” and “Sense and Sensibility.”