Matthew McConaughey Almost Played the Role of Jack in ‘Titanic’
Back in December 1997, James Cameron’s film Titanic told the tragic love story of Jack and Rose who were iconically played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet respectively. It’s difficult to imagine anyone other than these two incredible actors in those roles, but as it turns out, Titanic could have been a whole lot different!
In an interview onThe Hollywood Reporter‘s Awards Chatter podcast, actor Matthew McConaughey revealed a little-known secret – he too had auditioned for a role in Titanic. In fact, at one point during the casting calls, he was in the running for the role of Jack Dawson, which eventually went to DiCaprio.
During the podcast, he said, “I wanted that. I auditioned with Kate Winslet. Had a good audition. Walked away from there pretty confident that I had it. I didn’t get it. I never got offered that.”
Can you imagine how different the film would have been if Matthew McConaughey did land the role of Jack instead of DiCaprio? While McConaughey is a great actor and we’ve seen him take on many diverse projects (ex. Dazed and Confused, A Time To Kill, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, Dallas Buyers Club, etc), we just can’t quite imagine him playing the role of Jack in Titanic.
DiCaprio’s casting just seems like a perfect fit. While he, himself, did not take home any awards for his performance in Titanic, however, the film touched the hearts of audiences everywhere and dominated at the Academy Awards that year. It was nominated for 14 Oscars and ended up winning 11 total, including the top prizes for Best Picture and Best Director for Cameron.
Do you think the film would have made as big of a splash if Matthew McConaughey had played the role of Jack? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
A karaoke obsessed, craft beer enthusiast and lover of all things pop culture, Denise enjoys all facets of entertainment from Broadway to box office blockbusters. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, concerts (lots and lots of concerts), volunteering, reading and playing with her rescue kitten, Samantha (who rescued who, right?).
