With Titanic going down in film history, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as Jack and Rose.
However, director James Cameron has revealed Leo didn’t originally want to be involved in the movie as he thought it was “boring”, and it took some serious arm twisting to sign him up.
In an interview with People, James recalled that Leo “didn’t want to do a leading man”.
“I had to really twist his arm to be in the movie. He didn’t want to do it. He thought it was boring.”
James continued that while Leo eventually “accepted the part” of Jack, it was “only when I convinced him that it was actually a difficult challenge.“The role proved to be a game changer for Leo’s career, with James remarking he wasn’t shocked to see how he forged further success.
“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 director added.
However, James previously revealed how his relationship with Leo got off to an awkward start due to the actor’s reluctance to do a screen test.
Titanic was a critical and commercial smash following its release in 1997 and won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
After raking in a reported $2.2 billion at the box office worldwide, it became the highest-grossing film of all-time, a record it held until Cameron’s Avatar claimed the distinction in 2010.