In the 1997 epic film Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio played the role of Jack Dawson, a poor orphan who wins a ticket on the passenger ship Titanic in a poker game, only to become obsessively attracted to 17-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater. What most people don’t know is that DiCaprio was not producer James Cameron’s first choice for the role. Matthew McConaughey first auditioned for the role, and everyone liked him. Then DiCaprio came for an interview, and Cameron could see the room change. He explained that normally you’re in a one-on-one situation during an audition, which was the case with McConaughey. However, when DiCaprio came for an audition, Cameron looked around the room and every woman in the building was there, including the accountant and female security guard. That’s when he began to think he should give the role to DiCaprio. McConaughey said he thought he had nailed the part. Then a rumor started that he had been offered the part but turned it down. McConaughey flatly denies turning down the part and believes that Cameron himself started the rumor. Nevertheless, the part went to DiCaprio, the movie won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, it made $2.25 billion worldwide, and the rest is history.
