Matthew McConaughey has reflected on his audition for Titanic, revealing exactly what went down when he got into the room to try out for the role of Jack.
It’s long been rumoured that in the 1990s, the actor turned down the part that eventually went to Leonardo DiCaprio, though he’s now insisted that’s not exactly how things played out.
“I went and read with Kate Winslet… they filmed it so it was like into screen test time,” he told fellow actor Rob Lowe on the podcast Literally!.
“After we left, you know, it was one of those ones where they followed me and when we got outside they were like, ‘That went great’. I mean, kind of like hugs. I really thought it was going to happen. It did not.”
Matthew added: “I asked [film director James] Cameron about this, because the gossip over the years that I heard and would see written about me was that I had the role in Titanic and turned it down. Not factual. I did not get offered that role.”
Other actors thought to have been considered for the role of Jack reportedly included Tom Cruise and Jared Leto, while Gwyneth Paltrow, Winona Ryder and Reese Witherspoon were early considerations for the part of Rose.
Titanic was released in 1997, garnering 14 Oscar nominations, including Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Director, though Leonardo DiCaprio was snubbed by the Academy.
While Titanic didn’t work out for Matthew, he went on to appear in romantic comedies like The Wedding Planner, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days and Failure To Launch.
More dramatic roles in Interstellar and Dallas Buyers Club – which earned him his first Oscar nomination and win – followed.
Listen to Matthew’s full interview on Literally! With Rob Lowe.