Cameron says Leonardo DiCaprio's "negative" attitude nearly cost him his Titanic role.
23-11-2022
By Aarti Rawat
Leonardo DiCaprio nearly missed Titanic. James Cameron recently explained why the actor's attitude during his audition nearly cost him the part.
@credit socialmedia
Cameron met with DiCaprio, aged 21, after casting Kate Winslet as Rose. Cameron said DiCaprio dazzled everyone in the office, including himself, but he still needed a chemistry test with Kate.
@credit socialmedia
"A few days later, he walks in, and I'm ready to film. He hadn't planned to test. He expected to see Kate again, "Cameron told GQ on Nov. 22.
@credit socialmedia
"And I said, 'OK, so we'll run some lines, and I'll video it.' "I'm reading?" he asked. Yes, I said. "I don't read," he said."
@credit socialmedia
Cameron said he thanked DiCaprio for "coming by" and shook his hand. "Wait," said [DiCaprio]. If I don't read, I lose the part?'" Continued Cameron. "Oh, sure, I said. It's a big movie."
@credit socialmedia
The picture would take "two years of my life," so Cameron didn't want to make "the wrong casting option." He told DiCaprio to read or lose the part.
@credit socialmedia
Cameron said DiCaprio agreed unwillingly.
@credit socialmedia
"So he comes in and is negative until I say "Action," and then he becomes Jack. Kate brightened up, and he recreated the scene "Cameron: "A ray of sun broke through the clouds to illuminate Jack.
@credit socialmedia
OK, he's the one." Cameron recalled that DiCaprio struggled to play Jack, a character unlike any he'd played before.
@credit socialmedia
Cameron warned DiCaprio that playing Jack would be difficult because he had no "prop" to rely on.
@credit socialmedia
"You're probably not ready for what I'm saying. Once I mentioned that, he realized this was a difficult film for him. "Cameron: "Mistake. I hadn't given him enough direction."
@credit socialmedia
Cameron later realized that DiCaprio "didn't want something simple," but "something hard," and that chasing difficult jobs has been his "instinct" since.
@credit socialmedia
Cameron said he couldn't imagine Titanic without DiCaprio. "Try imagining that movie without Leo or Kate to understand how fragile it is, he added. It's difficult."