How Leonardo DiCaprio Nearly Lost Titanic – and Why Matthew McConaughey Thought He Got the Part

Leonardo DiCaprio’s role in Titanic made him a global star—but he almost didn’t get the part. And surprisingly, Matthew McConaughey once thought he did.

It’s hard to imagine anyone but Leonardo DiCaprio playing Jack Dawson in "Titanic." The role helped launch him into global superstardom, and the film became one of the most iconic love stories in movie history.

But according to director James Cameron, DiCaprio almost missed out on the part entirely—because of one major misstep during the audition process.

In a 2022 video interview with GQ, Cameron looked back on casting the 1997 film. He recalled that DiCaprio’s first meeting with him was a hit.

“I look around, and all the women in the entire office are in the meeting. They all wanted to meet Leo. It was hysterical,” Cameron said. DiCaprio had everyone charmed, and it looked like things were moving forward.

Then came the second meeting—a screen test with Kate Winslet, who had already been cast as Rose. DiCaprio showed up thinking it was just another casual meeting. When Cameron asked him to read lines on camera, DiCaprio was taken aback.

“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.’ And he said, ‘Wait, wait, wait. If I don't read, I don't get the part? Just like that?’” Cameron recalled. His answer was firm: “You're going to read, or you're not going to get the part.”

Reluctantly, DiCaprio agreed. And even though he came into the room with what Cameron described as “every ounce of his entire being... just so negative,” everything changed the moment the camera started rolling.

“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 said.

While DiCaprio came close to losing the role, another major actor thought he had already secured it. On an episode of "Literally! With Rob Lowe," Matthew McConaughey shared that he also auditioned for Jack—and things seemed promising.

“I went and read with Kate Winslet... it was like into screen test time,” McConaughey said. “It was one of those ones where they, like, 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.”

But the offer never came. Over the years, rumors started swirling that McConaughey had turned down the role.

He cleared that up during the interview: “Not factual. I did not get offered that role.” Laughing, he added, “For a while I was saying, ‘I gotta find that agent. They're in trouble.’”

In the end, DiCaprio got the part—and the rest is history. But the behind-the-scenes drama is a good reminder that even in Hollywood, landing a role sometimes comes down to a single moment, a bit of attitude, or a willingness to read a few lines.