What the “Titanic” Movie Would Look Like If Some Actors Didn’t Miss Their Chance at the Сasting

At the beginning of the creation of Titanic, few believed in its possible commercial success. Three-hour movie without fights, shootouts and chases did not seem promising studio managers. Nevertheless, the big name of James Cameron forced them to approve the project. But even more difficult than convincing the studio to start shooting, it was to choose actors and actresses for this movie.

Rose DeWitt Bukater

During the 1990s, Uma Thurman shone as one of Hollywood’s most prominent stars, courtesy of the triumph of the film Pulp Fiction. Despite not securing the part of Rose, she headlined in the movies Gattaca and Batman & Robin within that very year. It’s conceivable that Titanic might have marked her crowning achievement. However, every event unfolds with purpose. Several years later, Thurman would embody her iconic character in Kill Bill.

At the time when Brad Pitt was considered for the role of Jack, his then-wife Jennifer Aniston became a potential candidate for the role of Rose. However, it’s worth mentioning that Cameron looked at almost all famous young actresses.

Winona Ryder could have played Rose too because she and Depp made up a beautiful on-screen couple in the movie Edward Scissorhands. By the way, there was another Depp’s co-star who was considered for the role of Rose. It was Angelina Jolie.

The casting for the role of Rose was massive and included such A-listers as Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Madonna, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Connelly, Rachel Weisz, and Kate Beckinsale. They were not approved for various reasons.

But there was an actress who decided to get the role no matter the cost. It was Kate Winslet. When she read the script, she wept floods of tears, and then she got Cameron’s phone number and called him begging him to cast her. It seems that Winslet’s words “I just have to do this, and you are really mad if you don’t cast me” impressed the director, and Kate got what she dreamed of.

Jack Dawson

Matthew McConaughey auditioned for the role of Jack. According to the actor, he was sure he got the role because his audition went really well. However, this never happened. Years later, Matthew was surprised to hear the rumors that he turned the role down himself.

Yet another actor, who underwent an audition for the part but ultimately didn’t clinch it, happened to be Christian Bale. He even humorously referred to Leonardo DiCaprio as his “sworn enemy.” The reality is that these actors share the same age bracket and have frequently vied for roles. James Cameron’s decision not to select Bale was influenced by his British accent. However, Christian settled the score when he secured the lead role in American Psycho, a role for which Leo was also a strong contender.

Furthermore, Johnny Depp rejected the opportunity to portray Jack himself. After perusing the script, he found it lacking in sufficient allure. During that period, the actor was riding a wave of popularity yet declined numerous roles that later attained iconic status.

Many actors, who were popular in the late 1990s, tried out for the role of Jack. It’s interesting that they all had different types of appearances. For example, Tom Cruise and Macaulay Culkin could have played Jack too. And it’s hard to find less contrasting personalities.

Brad Pitt was also among the candidates for the starring role. At the time, he bathed in the rays of glory and was praised by critics thanks to the movie 12 Monkeys he starred in. Another candidate was Jared Leto. In the 1990s, he was at the beginning of his acting career but managed to appear in a few famous movies.

But still, Leonardo DiCaprio was the most convincing during the audition. By the way, Cameron even had to persuade the actor to play in his movie. Later, the director recalled, “He read it once, then started goofing around, and I could never get him to focus on it again. But for one split second, a shaft of light came down from the heavens and lit up the forest.”

Elderly Rose

When the time came to find an actress for the role of elderly Rose, Cameron embarked on a quest within the ranks of retired actresses from Hollywood’s Golden Age. Initially, Fay Wray, renowned for her role in the 1933 film King Kong, held a special place in his consideration.

Nevertheless, upon encountering Gloria Stuart, the director swiftly recognized her as the ideal choice. A certain resonance existed between her essence and Winslet’s. Interestingly, Stuart was notably younger than her character, prompting makeup artists to exert considerable effort in transforming her appearance into that of a 101-year-old lady.

Molly Brown

The character of Molly Brown is loved by many Kathy Bates fans. But Molly Brown could have been portrayed by another actress. The director’s first choice was country music singer Reba McEntire. And the singer agreed to take on the role. But the start of the production was rescheduled a few times, and eventually, Reba had to go on a tour that she couldn’t cancel. This was how Kathy Bates got a chance to play “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” and she was great in it.

Cora

Lindsay Lohan’s ascent to stardom commenced during her childhood years. However, her entry into the realm of cinema could have transpired even sooner, as she was under consideration for the portrayal of Cora, the offspring of destitute parents journeying in third-class. Yet, Lohan’s red hair played a detrimental role. This is due to the circumstance that both Rose and her mother possessed red locks. Consequently, Cameron deemed it more suitable to select a young actress with brunette tresses.

Caledon Hockley

Matthew McConaughey was also considered for the role of Caledon Hockley but didn’t get it. The list of potential actors to play Rose’s fiancé included Rob Lowe, Pierce Brosnan, Rupert Everett, and Hugh Grant. But it was Billy Zane who eventually landed it. And he was definitely a very good choice. After the movie was released, the actor was nominated for a few awards including an MTV Movie Award nomination for “Best Villain.”

Bonus: What one of the most famous movie scenes would look like if Titanic starred different actors.

Macaulay Culkin and Jennifer Aniston

Johnny Depp and Jennifer Aniston

Macaulay Culkin and Angelina Jolie

Anyway, the movie Titanic turned out to be wonderful. This movie accurately showed the atmosphere of the historical event and therefore became one of the best films in history. In addition, it gave the world one of the strongest and most touching friendships in Hollywood. By the way, even such a great movie was not without movie bloopers.