Before Leonardo DiCaprio was cast as Jack Dawson in Titanic, the iconic role was nearly secured by another Hollywood star, Matthew McConaughey.
New details about the casting process have emerged from the posthumous memoir of producer Jon Landau, The Bigger Picture, as reported by Puck. An anecdote from the book reveals that McConaughey was brought in for a chemistry test with co-star Kate Winslet.
During the screen test, director James Cameron was reportedly unimpressed with McConaughey’s performance, which featured his signature southern drawl. When Cameron asked the actor to “try it a different way,” McConaughey is said to have replied, “No. That was pretty good. Thanks.”
According to Landau’s account, this resistance to direction effectively ended McConaughey’s consideration for the part. At the time, McConaughey was already an established actor with roles in films like Dazed and Confused, Contact, and Amistad. However, his refusal to collaborate on the character with Cameron ultimately cost him the career-defining role, which then went to DiCaprio.
