James Cameron reveals why Leonardo DiCaprio almost failed to cast Titanic

When asked about the best actors in the world, it’s hard to avoid getting Leonardo DiCpario somewhere on this list. In films like “Catch Me If You Can”, “Shutter Island” or “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, he not only showed that he can take the work of contemporary directors by storm. He also demonstrated his acting complexity. DiCaprio is someone who can convey the quiet tones just as well as the megalomania. It goes without saying that with such a filmography, some iconic performances wrote history.

One of his most iconic roles is that of Jack Dawson from Titanic. This cast almost didn’t pan out, as James Cameron explained in an interview with the revealed. And that despite the fact that the first meeting with the “Romeo + Juliet” star was almost magical. Cameron recalls the excitement in the conference room: “I look around and all the women in the office are also in the meeting for some reason. I understood there was an executive producer involved. But our accountant? Why was she in the meeting? They all wanted to meet Leo! ”

James Cameron was tough!

DiCaprio captivated everyone. The mood was almost hysterical. Cameron too was convinced and invited him to another meeting a few days later. This time Leo would recite a few lines from the script with the already cast Kate Winslet. Cameron wanted to make sure he was right for the part. It was especially important to him that the chemistry with Winslet was good. At the meeting, DiCaprio was surprised. He assumed he would get the part without further testing.

The Hollywood star was apparently no longer used to having to read script passages again. He confidently refused to stage a scene with Winslet on camera. Cameron then stood up, shook hands with DiCaprio, and thanked him for coming. Anyone who has ever ruined a job interview knows what that means. Also Leo, who was shocked, “Wait, wait, wait. You mean if I don’t audition, I don’t get the part?”

Cameron then told him that Titanic was a huge project that he would work hard on for the next two years. It is therefore not possible for him to express his confidence in the potential protagonist without further ado. At the end of his explanation, he made it clear to DiCaprio, “You either read or you don’t get the part”. That was clear enough. DiCaprio decided to do a test performance with Winslet anyway. Lucky again: he managed to convince Cameron and some time later he also captivated the audience in the cinemas.