James Cameron is revealing that Leonardo DiCaprio almost didn’t get to be Jack Dawson in 1997’s Titanic because he didn’t want to read for the part.
“I remember there was a meeting with Leo. And then there was a screen test Leo,” Cameron was recalled at an Interview with GQ. “So the meeting was funny because I’m sitting in my conference room waiting to meet an actor, right? And I look around and all the women in the entire office are in the meeting, for some reason. Like, there’s a female executive producer, OK, fine. But our accountant? Why was she in the meeting? They all wanted to meet Leo. It was hysterical. I looked around, and I went, ‘I think I already know the answer to the question here.’”
Cameron stated that DiCaprio was charming everyone, including himself. The director wanted to know how his relationship with Kate Winslet would be. Days later, DiCaprio showed up again and didn’t know Cameron was going to test him.
It Titanic Director claimed that DiCaprio had told him. “Oh, I don’t read.” Cameron then says he shook the actor’s hand and thanked him for coming. Cameron then said, “When DiCaprio realized the opportunity was slipping away,” Romeo + Juliet “Star said” “Wait, wait, wait. You mean, if I don’t read, I don’t get the part just like that.”
Cameron told DiCaprio then that the film had been made in Canada. “like a giant movie that is going to take two years of my life and you’ll be gone doing five other things, while I’m doing post-production and all the model work and everything. So I’m not gonna f*** it up. I’m making the wrong decision in casting, so you’re gonna read or you’re not gonna get the part.”
Cameron asked DiCaprio to read and the director watched him closely. “every once of his entire being was so negative.” Cameron however, said DiCaprio when Cameron said that the director had taken action “turned into Jack And Kate just lit up and they went into this whole thing and he played the scene. Dark clouds had opened up, a ray of sun came down and lit up Jack. I’m like, ‘All right, he’s the guy.’”