Leonardo DiCaprio almost didn't get the part in Titanic, and it possibly would have been his fault. DiCaprio starred in the film, which proved to be a box office success — the movie's currently the third high-grossing movie of all time worldwide — and cemented DiCaprio's status as a 90s heartthrob. With an Oscar win for his performance in The Revenant, DiCaprio's talent and onscreen presence haven't faded. DiCaprio's earned five other nominations at the time of this writing, and he's helped make over $6 billion at the box office with 23 leading roles.
In a retrospective interview for GQ, James Cameron recalled how a young Leonardo DiCaprio almost didn't get the part. Cameron said their initial meeting went well, but things almost fell apart once DiCaprio found out that he had to do a screen test for the role. DiCaprio said he didn't read for parts, and Cameron almost sent him packing on the spot. Read how the incident was settled and how DiCaprio got the part below:
"And he said, ‘You mean, I’m reading?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘Oh, I don’t read.’ I shook his hand and said, ‘Thanks for coming by . . . This is a giant movie that is going to 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 going to f------ it up by making the wrong decision in casting. So, you’re going to read, or you’re not going to get the part.' So he comes in, and he’s like every ounce of his entire being is just so negative -- right up until I said, ‘Action.’ Then he turned into Jack. Kate just lit up, and they played the scene. Dark clouds had opened up, and a ray of sun came down and lit up Jack. I’m like, ‘All right. He’s the guy.'”
Cameron's Titanic Tactic Was Risky (But Makes Sense)
James Cameron made a huge gamble in saying either DiCaprio read for the part or move on, losing an actor with a major box office draw, great talent, and magnetic chemistry with co-star Kate Winslet, as the screen test ended up proving. Imagining another actor in the part is hard to imagine, as is trying to imagine Winslet and DiCaprio not being close friends offscreen. The move, however, may have served both Titanic and the career of DiCaprio for the better.
With the correct dose of aggression, DiCaprio was humbled by the writer-director, and Cameron established the nature of their actor-director relationship: firm but creatively enlightening. If DiCaprio carried that mentality of not having to read for parts, not only would he have experienced more rejection by making the wrong impression, but he would have lost a great amount of talent as time passed with him unchecked. It may be that interaction that disciplined DiCaprio to let go of enough ego to allow himself to be more emotionally honest in his roles. After that, his roles started to grow regarding what was asked of him.
It was a bold moment of assertion on Cameron's part and an honest moment of humility on Dicaprio's. He's talented, but an attitude like that, he learned, could cost him roles that may be imperative to his career. It may have even cost him one of his closest friendships -- as Dicaprio and Winslet remain friends after over twenty years -- as much as it may have cost the Titanic's success.
Source: GQ