Matthew McConaughey lost ‘Titanic' lead role over refusing to do James Cameron's simple request
Matthew McConaughey, 55, almost landed the role of Jack Dawson in James Cameron's 1997 film 'Titanic,' but lost out due to his Southern drawl.
In a new posthumous memoir, 'The Bigger Picture' by Jon Landau, the late producer detailed the casting in depth.
11 Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet in the 'Titanic.'
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
According to a snippet obtained by Matthew Belloni's What I'm Hearing newsletter, Kate Winslet, who was already cast as Rose, 'was taken with Matthew, his presence and charm.'
Cameron, 70, meanwhile, wasn't having it.
The filmmaker told McConaughey, per Landau's book, 'That's great, now let's try it a different way.'
11 The Bigger Picture' by Jon Landau.
Penguin Random House
McConaughey, who was raised in Texas, allegedly quipped back, 'No. That was pretty good. Thanks.'
'Let's just say, that was it for McConaughey,' Landau penned.
The role of Jack ultimately would go to Leonardo DiCaprio.
The Post reached out to McConaughey's rep for comment.
11 Matthew McConaughey.
Getty Images for Jacquemus
In 2021, McConaughey opened up about his audition while on the 'Literally! with Rob Lowe' podcast.
'So I went and read with Kate Winslet, and it was not one of the auditions,' he said, 'they filmed it so it was like into screen test time.'
'After we left, you know, 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. It did not.'
11 James Cameron.
AFP via Getty Images
The 'Dazed and Confused' star also set the record straight on rumors that he was offered the part.
'I asked Cameron about this, because the gossip over the years that I heard and would see written about me was that I had the role in 'Titanic' and turned it down,' McConaughey recounted. 'Not factual. I did not get offered that role.'
'For a while, I was saying, 'I gotta find that agent. They're in trouble,'' he teased. 'I did not ever get the offer.'
11 Leonardo DiCaprio in the 1997 film 'Titanic.'
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
Landau passed away at age 63 in 2024 after a battle with cancer.
The blockbuster hit followed a poor artist named Jack Dawson (DiCaprio), who falls in love with Winslet's Rose, a rich debutante, while the pair are aboard the 'unsinkable' RMS Titanic in 1912.
Along with Winslet, 49, and DiCaprio, 50, 'Titanic' starred Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Bill Paxton, Gloria Stuart, and Victor Garber.
11 James Cameron working with Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio on 'Titanic.'
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
The movie won an Oscar for Best Picture.
In March, Zane, 59, who played Caledon Hockley, revealed that he doesn't rewatch the 1997 film.
'No, but I get sent photos. When it's on, my phone blows up because everyone's [sending]. I have more photos of flat screen TVs in nondescript rooms. It's like, 'Hey you're on!'' Zane told The Post at the red carpet premiere for his new Western 'Day of Reckoning.'
11 Kate Winslet as Rose and Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack.
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
He does, however, keep in touch with some of the star-studded cast.
'Frances and Leo. Kate not as much because she lives in England, I see her occasionally. Kathy. Rochelle [Rose].'
McConaughey himself went on to have a lucrative career in Hollywood. While he still works in the industry, he relocated to Texas during the height of his acting career.
11 Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in the iconic 'Titanic' scene.
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
McConaughey and his wife Camila Alves, who tied the knot in 2012, moved to the Lone Star State in 2014.
Now, a decade later, the couple and their three kids, Levi, 17, Vida, 15, and Livingston, 12, still reside in McConaughey's home state.
When asked why he decided to make the trek, McConaughey explained that staying true to himself is what allowed his career to thrive.
11 Matthew Mcconaughey with his wife and kids.
levimcconaughey/Instagram
'Look, man, the devil's in the infinite yeses, not the nos,' the star revealed on the 'Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios' podcast last year.
'No, it's just as important, if not more important,' McConaughey continued. 'Especially if you have some level of success and access. No becomes more important than yes.'
'I mean, we all look around and see we've over-leveraged our life with yeses and go, 'Geez, oh, man, I'm making C minuses and all that s–t in my life because I said yes to too many things.' I have many times in my life where I'm going through autopilot,' he added.
11 Livingston McConaughey, Matthew McConaughey, Camila Alves McConaughey, Vida McConaughey, and Levi McConaughey.
FilmMagic
Before moving to Texas, McConaughey and Alves, 42, lived in Malibu, Calif.
At the time, the Oscar winner was best known for a slew of rom-coms, including 'How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days,' 'The Wedding Planner,' 'Failure to Launch,' and 'Fool's Gold.'
'That was my lane, and I liked that lane,' he said of his rom-com work. 'That lane paid well and it was working. But the lane was… I was so strong in that lane that anything outside of that lane, dramas and stuff that I wanted to do, were like, 'No, no, no, no, no McConaughey.' Hollywood said 'No, no, no, no, you should stay there, stay there.''
Wanting to expand beyond that genre led them to embark on a new journey.
11 Camila Alves McConaughey and Matthew McConaughey attend the 2025 Joy Awards.
Getty Images for GEA
Once in Texas, McConaughey told his partner that he would only go back to California if he were 'offered roles I want to do.'
'Luckily, Camila got pregnant with our first child. So there was purpose coming to look forward to,' he recalled. 'But I was still like, 'Man's gotta work.' Making chimes and working in the garden wasn't cutting it.'
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