James Cameron Says Leonardo DiCaprio Almost Didn’t Get ‘Titanic’ Role Because He Didn’t Want To Audition - Deadline

James Cameron is revealing that Leonardo DiCaprio astir didn’t get to beryllium Jack Dawson successful 1997’s Titanic due to the fact that helium didn’t privation to work for the part.

“I retrieve determination was a gathering with Leo. And past determination was a surface trial Leo,” Cameron recalled during an interview with GQ. “So the gathering was comic due to the fact that I’m sitting successful my league country waiting to conscionable an actor, right? And I look astir and each the women successful the full bureau are successful the meeting, for immoderate reason. Like, there’s a pistillate enforcement producer, OK, fine. But our accountant? Why was she successful the meeting? They each wanted to conscionable Leo. It was hysterical. I looked around, and I went, ‘I deliberation I already cognize the reply to the question here.'”

Cameron said that DiCaprio charmed everyone astatine the gathering including himself. However, the manager inactive wanted to spot what his chemistry with Kate Winslet was going to beryllium like. Days later, DiCaprio showed up again and didn’t cognize Cameron was going to trial him.

The Titanic manager said that DiCaprio told him, “Oh, I don’t read.” Cameron past says helium shook the actor’s manus and thanked him for coming. When DiCaprio saw the accidental slipping away, Cameron said the Romeo + Juliet prima said, “Wait, wait, wait. You mean, if I don’t read, I don’t get the portion conscionable similar that.”

Cameron past explained to DiCaprio that the movie was “like a elephantine movie that is going to instrumentality 2 years of my beingness and you’ll beryllium gone doing 5 different things, portion I’m doing post-production and each the exemplary enactment and everything. So I’m not gonna f*** it up. I’m making the incorrect determination successful casting, truthful you’re gonna work oregon you’re not gonna get the part.”

DiCaprio had nary different prime but to work for Cameron and portion the manager continued to observe the histrion helium could archer that “every ounce of his full being was truthful negative.” However, erstwhile the manager said action, Cameron said DiCaprio “turned into Jack and Kate conscionable lit up and they went into this full happening and helium played the scene. Dark clouds had opened up, a ray of prima came down and lit up Jack. I’m like, ‘All right, he’s the guy.'”