“Titanic” is such a classic in the world of film, and it’s hard to think of anyone more suited to the lead roles than Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. But actor John C. Reilly, who had known Leonardo since he was young, actually tried to persuade him not to star in the huge film, and to instead star in something else.
What Happened?
GettyAt the same time as the producers of “Titanic” were looking for their cast, filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson was trying to find the perfect line up of actors and actresses to star in his second film called “Boogie Nights”. He felt that Leonardo would be an amazing fit for the flick and he wanted him to play the movie’s main character, Dirk Digger. However, Leonardo had already been presented with the lucrative offer of starring in “Titanic”.
Actor John C. Reilly knew Paul was after Leonardo, and did his best to try to persuade him to star in “Boogie Nights” instead of “Titanic”. Revealing the interaction on Ted Danson’s ‘Where Everybody Knows Your Name Podcast”, John shared: “Before Mark [Wahlberg] was asked to do the movie, Paul really wanted Leo DiCaprio to do it. I knew Leo. I met him when he was 17. And I was like, ‘Give me the assignment, Paul. I’ll get this guy to do your movie. I’ve known him since he’s a kid.”
John piled on his persuasion further, revealing that the “Titanic” likely wouldn’t get that big because people already know the storyline of the film. He added: “I was like, ‘Listen, Leo, let me tell you something. That movie Titanic is about a boat that sinks. Everyone knows the boat sinks. No one’s going to give a s*** about who’s on the boat.
“I was like, ‘This guy, this director, is going to be one of the most talented film directors going forward, and you should not miss this opportunity.”
Leonardo ultimately chose to star in “Titanic” and achieved huge success. And in a full-circle moment Leonardo did end up working with director Paul Anderson last year, where he played the lead in Oscar-winning “One Battle After Another”!
The Success of “Titanic”
“Titanic” came out in 1997 and became the first film to generate over $1 billion at the box office. Even decades later “Titanic” still ranks as one of the most popular films of all time as well as among the highest grossing, going on to generate over $2.2 billion.
At the time of production “Titanic” had a huge budget of $200 million, though given its huge success that still stands up today it seems like it was more than worth it!
The film received 14 nominations at the Oscars and took home a whopping 11 of them, and Celine Dion’s iconic track “My Heart Will Go On” which features in the movie boomed and dominated charts worldwide. The success propelled Celine to win four Grammy Awards for the track and the “Titanic” soundtrack album subsequently became one of the best-selling albums of all time.
