It almost happened: Matthew McConaughey could have been Jack Dawson in "Titanic," but a stubborn "no" left him out of one of the most iconic roles in cinema history.
According to an excerpt from the late producer Jon Landau's book, "The Bigger Picture," published in a newspaper, McConaughey had come to audition and had a scene with Kate Winslet. And according to Landau, "Kate was struck by Matthew's presence and charisma." Up until that point, everything was going smoothly.
But then... he spoke.
McConaughey, like a true Southern gentleman, played Jack with a typical Texas accent. Director James Cameron tactfully told him:
"Very good. Now let's try it differently."
But Matthew didn't see the need. He replied:
“No. That was enough. Thank you.”
And that's it. The role is gone.
For context: Jack Dawson was supposed to be an orphaned boy from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, not a charming cowboy who talks like he just got off the rodeo. With that “no,” McConaughey closed the ship’s door on himself before the Titanic even set sail.
Later, the role went to Leonardo DiCaprio, who also didn't have it easy. During the audition, when Cameron asked him to read the script, Leo replied "I don't read." (classic '90s Leo). But when Cameron told him that without reading there is no role, DiCaprio took it seriously, read everything he could and shined!
The director described the moment as magical:
"The clouds parted and a ray of light shone on Jack. I thought 'that's the boy.'"
Ironically, if McConaughey had simply agreed to change his accent for two minutes, the story of the film and perhaps his career would have taken a different turn. But hey, he chose to stay true to his style and walk away as only he knows how: with a lot of confidence and an “alright, alright, alright” in his mind.
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Source: Page Six
