“He wanted to have a problem”: Leonardo DiCaprio Found His Iconic Titanic Role Too Easy, Almost Didn’t Agree Until James Cameron Made It Challenging
Leonardo DiCaprio who is one of the most celebrated actors in the film industry, initially did not want to get cast in Titanic until James Cameron made his role worthy enough. It wasn’t easy to persuade the A-list actor to sign the director’s offer.
Leonardo DiCaprio has a habit of portraying challenging characters that can enhance his acting skills, and James Cameron’s movie did not appeal to him much initially when he was offered Titanic. The actor believed that the role was no sweat to him until the director made it exciting.
Leonardo DiCaprio Almost Rejected Titanic Until James Cameron Made His Role Challenging
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Leonardo DiCaprio has quite an interesting story behind his casting in Titanic. Not only Kate Winslet and Paul Rudd but director James Cameron too had to put extra effort into bringing the megastar into his project. The Inception star undeniably did not know that he was offered a blockbuster project that made him and Winslet superstars overnight.
In a chat with producer Jon Landau via Filmfare, James Cameron revealed that Dicaprio had reservations about accepting the role of Jack Dawson as he initially did not find the character challenging enough to pursue and these thoughts made the actor uncertain to accept the offer. Cameron said:
“He was looking for a challenge. He wanted, you know, he had played, you know, Gilbert Grape, who was obviously developmentally challenged in some way. And he played a drug addict in Basketball Diaries. And, you know, he wanted to have a problem. He wanted to have something to rage against.”
James Cameron clarified that the Shutter Island star was previously misquoted when it was reported that DiCaprio was looking for a demanding and challenging role and he found Titanic a boring movie. The director then convinced the actor by explaining that the role was indeed challenging as Jack Dawson was the kind of personality who had to transfer energy and contribute to the love story in the film.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Approach Did Not Appeal to James Cameron at First
Titanic is a prestigious and highly acclaimed movie that earned Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet a massive fanbase worldwide. The actors initially did not know that Titanic would do wonders for them, and after the movie hit theatres, Winslet and DiCaprio were immensely lauded for their acting skills.
But little did fans know that the director James Cameron did not like DiCaprio’s approach to taking the movie. According to Marca, the actor was given a script to read, for which The Departed star replied: “Oh I don’t read”. Cameron knew that DiCaprio was the perfect fit for the movie but did not like the dismissive attitude of the actor. James Cameron then replied to DiCaprio and said:
“When you can do what you know Jimmy Stewart did or Gregory Peck did, they just fu*king stood there. They didn’t have a limp or a lisp or whatever, then you’ll be ready for this. But I’m thinking you’re not ready, cause what I’m talking about is actually much harder. Those things are easier, those are props, those are crutches. What I’m talking about is much harder and you’re probably not quite ready for it.”
Cameron explained his expectations to DiCaprio of what he wanted the actor to be and emphasized that the role of Jack Dawson required a more nuanced and demanding performance. After encountering the director’s stern words Leonardo DiCaprio realized the true nature of the character he was offered in Titanic. As a result, the actor took Cameron’s advice and worked towards the massive success of their movie.
Watch Titanic on Disney+
