When James Cameron Did Not Want Leonardo DiCaprio As The Lead Actor In His Blockbuster, Titanic: “He Didn’t Strike Me As Having The Qualities That I Wanted”
James Cameron once admitted that he did not want Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic. Here is what happened next.
When James Camron Almost Deprived The Fans Of Leonardo DiCaprio As Jack In Titanic. (Photo Credit – IMDb)
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James Cameron, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kate Winslet created history with Titanic in 1997. It brought unfathomable fame and recognition for the young actors. The film took home a record number of awards for it at the Oscars. However, Leonardo would have missed it all if Cameron had stuck by his decision not to cast Leo as Jack Dawson. The casting process was a very messy one.
Firstly, Cameron did not want to take Leo for his movie, and then the Oscar-winning actor was reluctant to do the film. In an interview, Kate once revealed how she tracked Leo down in a hotel and tried to convince him for the part. She reportedly kept calling him and went on to persuade him until he felt guilty about it and finally gave in. He was petrified of the film, hence his hesitation.
Last year, it was Titanic’s 25th anniversary, and the film was re-released in the theatres during Valentine’s week. The film was made on a budget of $200 million over two decades ago. As per Box Office Mojo’s report, the worldwide collection of this James Cameron-made magnum opus stands at $2.26 billion. Leonardo DiCaprio appeared in the role of Jack Dawson, who falls in love with Kate Winslet’s character, Rose.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, James Cameron revealed that he was not very keen on hiring Leonardo DiCaprio for Titanic. He said, “The curious thing is, I actually didn’t want Leo at first.” He added, “Leo was recommended by the studios, as were other young, hot actors. . . . He didn’t strike me as necessarily having the qualities that I wanted for my Jack.” But what changed James’ mind? Scroll below to know!
The young Leonardo DiCaprio had the ability to swoon people with his captivating personality. James Cameron was not immune to it either. The Titanic maker explained, “But I met him and basically just loved him. He can quickly charm a group of people without doing anything obvious. . . . The second I met him, I was convinced.”
Actors like Matthew McConaughey, Chris O’Donnell, and allegedly Christian Bale pressed for the lead role, which eventually was taken by Leonardo. Leo and Kate Winslet‘s on-screen pairing is still one of the iconic on-screen pairs in the history of cinema.
Last, at a press conference, James Cameron revealed that his Avatar 3‘s post-production is hectic and will take two years. It is expected to come out around Christmas in 2025.
