‘Titanic’ is one of the most prestigious cinematographic works in history. The film released in 1998 and directed by James Cameron is the fourth highest-grossing production in history behind ‘Avatar’, ‘Avengers: Endgame’ and ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ and is considered one of the most beloved and watched films in history.
In addition to its beautiful yet tragic plot, the film is so famous for its cast of actors, most notably Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.
For Cameron, the role of Jack Dawson was a perfect fit for the star of the film, and his commitment to him was clear and convincing. However, the film genius had some doubts about the arrogance shown by the actor during the casting.
DiCaprio’s refusal to read
When asked to read for the part, DiCaprio responded with ‘Oh I don’t read’, to which Cameron had to respond sternly to ensure the job got done properly.
Cameron told him: “When you can do what you know Jimmy Stewart did or Gregory Peck did, they just fucking 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.”
According to the filmmaker, that speech made DiCaprio understand the project. Cameron added: “The second I said that it clicked for [DiCaprio] that this was a really hard, challenging film for him. And I realised my mistake, I hadn’t laid out the challenge for him sufficiently.”