Very few films have been as culturally impactful as Titanic . Without a doubt, it was the film of the decade and helped catapult Leonardo DiCaprio into the echelon of superstardom.
Below are a lot of behind the scenes secrets from Titanic that fans didn’t know.
Have a look and better acquaint yourself with everything you never knew about the film!
1. Leonardo DiCaprio was reluctant to take-on the role of a romantic leading man.
“His character doesn’t go through torment , and Leo previously and subsequently in his career was always looking for that dark cloud,” Cameron said to People .
James continued on, saying that he had to convince Leo of how difficult the role actually was:
“It became my job to convince him that it was a challenge to do what Gregory Peck and Jimmy Stewart did in previous generations, to stand there and be strong and hold the audience’s eye without seeming to do very much.”
2. The film absolutely slayed at the Academy Awards but didn’t get a single win in any acting category.
Titanic brought home a grand total of 11 Academy Awards , including “Best Picture” as well as “Best Director”.
Both Kate Winslett and Gloria Stuart were nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.
3. The water wasn’t actually all that cold at all.
“The water in the tank was about 80 degrees , so it was really like a pool,” Cameron said to People . “All of the cold, frigid breath was added later.”
Cameron also addressed rumors that he refused to let his actors leave the tank, even to go to the washroom!
“Everyone could go to the toilet, but they were encouraged not to go in the tank – which I think was happening!”
Gross! Can you imagine floating in a pool filled with other people’s pee?!
Oh wait, I guess that’s exactly what a public pool is, isn’t it?
4. The most famous line of dialogue in the entire film was ad-libbed.
“It was made up on the spot. It was just coming up snake eyes. And I said, ‘Alright, I’ve got one for you. Just say, ‘I’m the king of the world ,’ and just spread your arms out wide and just be in the moment and just love it and just celebrate it and love it.’” Cameron said to BBC’s Movies That Make Me .
5. There was an alternate ending that you likely never saw.
In the alternate take, Rose is confronted by Brock Lovett as she’s about to drop the Heart of the Ocean into the sea.
She allows him to hold it in his hand, gives him a brief speech about the value of enjoying life, and then plunks it back into the water.
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6. The nude sketch of Kate Winslet fetched more than $16,000 at auction.
Another fun fact behind the drawing is that it wasn’t sketched by Leonardo DiCaprio at all!
Director James Cameron was the one who actually drew Kate while she was wearing the Heart of the Ocean.
7. Neil DeGrasse Tyson is responsible for a re-shoot in the 3D version of the film.
“Neil deGrasse Tyson sent me quite a snarky email saying that, at that time of year, in that position in the Atlantic in 1912, when Rose is lying on the piece of driftwood and staring up at the stars, that is not the star field she would have seen.”
8. According to *The Mythbusters*, Jack didn’t have to die.
James Cameron made an appearance on the show to test whether or not Rose and Jack could have survived on the wooden door together.
As it turns out, The Mythbusters proved that Jack’s sacrifice was totally unnecessary.
9. James Cameron defends the decision behind his “artistic choice” when he let Jack die.
According to Cameron, he told Vanity Fair that the film is about ” Death and separation .” Therefore, without the death of the central character, the underlying theme is totally lost.
Whatever you say, James.
10. Kate Winslet is very critical of her performance.
“My American accent is appalling! Here we are 15 years on, and I’ve learnt so much more, not just about myself but the job that I do and the world of film, and I look at myself in Titanic and I wish I could bring all this knowledge that I now have into that.”
11. *Titanic* holds a non-box office related record.
It was the first film to ever be released on VHS while it was still playing in theaters .
During the first weekend of it’s VHS home release, the film was still playing on more than 400 big screens.
12. James Cameron was 100% against putting Céline Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” in the film.
“Would you put a song at the end of Schindler’s List ? My movie is big enough, I don’t need something bigger, I don’t need any singer,” Cameron is reported by Billboard to have said.
13. Céline Dion herself was not exactly keen on recording the track either, according to *Billboard*.
“When I recorded it, I didn’t think about a movie ; I didn’t think about radio. I thought, ‘Sing the song, then get the heck out of there.’”
