James Cameron has talked in the past about how Leonardo DiCaprio almost refused to read for the role of Jack Dawson in Titanic. In a recent interview, Cameron went on to say that DiCaprio initially didn’t even want to be in the movie.
Speaking to People at the Golden Globes this past weekend, Cameron joked that DiCaprio had no desire to be a leading man, with the legendary director saying that he had to “twist his arm” in order to get DiCaprio into the movie.
“He didn’t want to do a leading man,” Cameron said. “I had to really twist his arm to be in the movie. He didn’t want to do it. He thought it was boring.”
Cameron went on to say that DiCaprio only ended up taking the role after the director was able to convince him that the role of Jack Dawson was “a difficult challenge,” then praised DiCaprio’s talent. “It didn’t surprise me, first of all, that he’s made a lot of authentic choices going forward. And secondly, I never doubted his talent.”
Originally released in 1997, Titanic became a smash hit from the moment it premiered, with praise from critics and audiences alike pouring in. The film was the first ever movie to reach the billion-dollar mark at the box office and remained the highest-grossing film of all time until Cameron would go on to beat it with another film of his in 2009 — Avatar.
For those looking to re-live the 1997 film, Titanic is currently set to be rereleased in 3D 4K HDR on February 10, 2023.