Read or leave: When Leo refused to screen test for ‘Titanic’ and got told

Film director James Cameron was willing to let the actor go

James Cameron, the Oscar-winning Titanic filmmaker, in a recent interaction with GQ magazine recalled how Leonardo DiCaprio originally refused to read for the part of Jack opposite Kate Winslet during a screen test for Titanic.

“There was a meeting with Leo and then there was a screen test,” Cameron recalled. “The meeting was funny because I am sitting in my conference room, waiting to meet an actor. And I look around, and all the women in the entire office are in the meeting. They all wanted to meet Leo. It was hysterical.”

He remembered how DiCaprio “charmed everyone” in his first meeting but the screen test was a bit more challenging. And by that time, Winslet was already locked in to play the part of Rose. “He came back a couple of days later and I had the camera set up to record the video. He didn’t know he was going to test. He thought it was another meeting to meet Kate. So, I said, ‘Okay, we’ll just go in the next room, and we’ll run some lines and I’ll video it.’ 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.'”

Cameron said he was ready to turn away DiCaprio but the actor came back to him and said, “Wait, wait, wait. If I don’t read, I don’t get the part? Just like that?” Cameron replied “Oh, yeah. Come on. 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, you’re going to read, or you’re not going to get the part.'”

He then remembered how negative DiCaprio’s presence became up until he 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.'”

Propelled by DiCaprio and Winslet’s chemistry, Titanic went on to become the highest grossing movie of all time during its run. The film now ranks as the third highest-grossing title with $2.2 billion at the box office.