Leonardo DiCaprio catapulted to fame in the 90s with some phenomenal performances early on in his career. With films such as This Boy’s Life, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, The Basketball Diaries, and Romeo + Juliet he became a promising rising star and a heartthrob among the youth and the general public.
The handsome and charming DiCaprio captivated the audiences through his intense and romantic endeavors while also gaining a respectable reputation in the industry as a capable talent. Yet he had no idea that his stardom would shatter all expectations with his collaboration on Titanic with James Cameron.
Cameron had considered DiCaprio for the part of Jack, seeing his promising and interesting film choices in his career until that point. But DiCaprio himself had developed a certain level of fame and recognition and this created a difference between him and Cameron when they initially discussed the film.
Everyone was Waiting to See Leonardo DiCaprio When He Came to Meet James Cameron
Leonardo DiCaprio was called in for a meeting with director James Cameron to discuss Titanic. Cameron recalls the excitement and frenzy that the crew in his office felt hearing that DiCaprio was coming. He realized the level of fame and recognition DiCaprio already had and the pressure to make him commit to a big movie like Titanic which he had never done before.
Cameron told GQ,
“I remember there was a meeting with Leo and a screen test with Leo. So the meeting was funny cause I was waiting in my conference room waiting to meet an actor right? And I looked around and all the women in the entire office were in the meeting for some reason. Like there’s a female executive producer, okay fine. But our accountant? why was she in the meeting? They all just wanted to meet Leo, It was hysterical. I looked around and went ‘ I think I already know the answer to the question here’.”
He also talked about how DiCaprio didn’t want to read for the role and Cameron couldn’t cast him if he didn’t read. He further added,
“I said ‘Okay so we’ll go in the next room and we’ll run some lines and I’ll video it. And he said ‘ You mean I’m reading?’ And I said ‘yeah’, he said ‘Oh I don’t read’. I shook his hand and said ‘Well thanks for coming by. He said, Wait, you mean if I don’t read I don’t get the part? I said ‘Oh yeah. This is like a giant movie, it’s gonna take two years of my life and you’ll be gone doing five other things while I’m doing post-production, so I’m not gonna f**k it up by making the wrong decision in casting. So you’re gonna read or you’re not gonna get the part'”
DiCaprio committed to the role and ultimately won Cameron’s heart. The film became a big success, grossing more than $2 billion at the box office.
Leonardo DiCaprio Initially Thought Titanic‘s Story Was Boring
Initially, Leonardo DiCaprio was disinterested in being a part of James Cameron’s Titanic. He found the role of Jack not challenging enough and the script of the film to be boring. Cameron had to convince him to be the lead and discover the challenge that the film had. He told People’s Magazine,
“He didn’t want to do a leading man,” recalls Cameron. “I had to really twist his arm to be in the movie. He didn’t want to do it. He thought it was boring. I convinced him that it was actually a difficult challenge. 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.“
The film went on to nab 11 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director for Cameron. DiCaprio’s stardom shot to an all-time high after the film and the role of Jack remains the most iconic and memorable one in his career.
Audiences can experience the sensational romance between Jack and Rose in Titanic, currently streaming on Paramount+.
Sources: GQ, People’s Magazine
