Melanie Lynskey Says Losing Touch with Friend Kate Winslet Was 'More Heartbreaking Than Some Breakups'

"It happens in relationships; people kind of drift apart. But that was so painful for me," the actress said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast

Melanie Lynskey is reflecting on her tough experience with growing apart from her Heavenly Creatures costar and once-close friend Kate Winslet.

On Thursday's episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Yellowjackets actress, 45, recalled how Winslet, 47, "set the bar" of acting for her when Lynskey was instructed to watch Winslet's audition tape for the 1994 movie before the two starred in it together.

They soon became close friends, Lynskey said — and when they "lost touch," she added, "it was more heartbreaking than some breakups that I've had."

"It was so painful. And it wasn't like anything happened — it's just she became a gigantic, international movie star and she didn't have a lot of time," the actress continued. "And then, suddenly, she'd be in Los Angeles and not have time when I was living here."

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"It just sort of gradually happened, and it happens in relationships; people kind of drift apart. But that was so painful for me," Lynskey added.

Despite the last time the pair saw each other being at the premiere for Lynskey's 2009 film Away We Go, she said Winslet was "a huge inspiration" for her as she navigated negative comments about her body early on in her career, especially while leveraging such huge talent.

"I know she's a very, very confident person, but everyone's sensitive and she's very sensitive," Lynskey said. "And the way she was dissected and talked about … I remember at the time being just so furious on her behalf. Especially because Kate Winslet is now in the world. Kate Winslet is doing movies. And you're getting to witness that talent. This is an actor who comes along once in a generation. Like, just focus on that!"

"Also, she was tiny and she still is tiny," Lynskey continued. "It infuriated me so much, and I just was always amazed by how gracefully she handled all of that. It was always really impressive."

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Her experience growing apart from Winslet was not the only time she experienced something similar — in fact, the New Zealand actress said it "happened a couple of times."

"I did this movie with this actor, and when we were finished I said, 'Oh my gosh, I'm just so happy that I met you and we have this friendship,' " Lynskey recalled.

But the costar didn't react quite how she hoped, allegedly telling Lynskey, "Yeah, I'm not friends with actors. I don't stay friends with actors."

"I was just like, 'What?' … I was so shocked by it," she continued. "It was someone who had been working longer than me and I think was used to [the idea of], 'We move on, and this is just a couple of months of our life.' "

"But I was so sensitive. I was always so injured by losing these great loves I was having," Lynskey admitted, explaining of letting go, "It got easier."

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