Kate Winslet’s accent has been the early focal point of conversations around Mare Of Easttown, the HBO show set in Philadelphia starring the Titanic actress. We know just how much work she put into perfecting the Eastern Pennsylvania vocal cues, sure, but now we also know that she understands what really matters in the Keystone State: the gas station where you prefer to eat your meals.
Winslet is apparently a huge Wawa fan, adding a big star to the ranks of its supporters in the ceaseless hoagie battle between Sheetz and Wawa in the mid-Atlantic region of America. While the battle is never-ending, you basically have to have an opinion on the fight if you live in Pennsylvania. Which is why Winslet had to figure things out for herself in order to sort out her detective character.
As the Huffington Post detailed, Winslet spoke about Wawa on The Los Angeles Times podcast The Envelope about getting ready to play her character on the show. It was that prep, which also involved subscribing to a Delaware County newspaper, that got her fascinated with Wawa in the first place.
The British actor said that she decided to subscribe to the Delco Times, Delaware County’s daily newspaper, to better understand her character. And one thing she noticed while reading it every day was that there were a whole lot of articles mentioning Wawa, a beloved gas station-convenience store-fast food chain headquartered in ― where else ― the town of Wawa, in Delaware County.
Winslet quickly found herself incredibly intrigued.
“It almost felt like a mythical place … Wawa,” she told the podcast, adding: “By the time I got there, I was like, ‘It’s real!’ Walking into a Wawa ultimately felt like, it was kind of an honor, in a funny way, because to me that was the heart of Delco. So to finally walk through the door of a Wawa; I don’t know why I felt like, ‘Oh, yes, I’m here, I belong. This is where it’s at. Wawa.’”
It’s a feeling many people can relate to when it comes to regional chain stores, so it’s extremely charming to hear that Winslet was also sucked in by the hype. And it won’t do anything to put the debate to rest, but getting Kate Winslet on your side has to feel good for Wawa fanatics in the eternal struggle.
[via HuffPo]