Leonardo DiCaprio wears a lot of hats. To many, he's a decade-defining star of the '90s, as well as one of the greatest actors of all time. To others, he's a philanthropic social activist with an eye toward the future.
Leo has been called a lot of things over the years, but "diva" isn't a label you normally hear thrust upon him. However, after a recent interview with Titanic director James Cameron, it was precisely Leo's diva-like behavior that nearly cost him the lead in Titanic.
After a breakthrough performance in This Boy's Life, Leo was well on his way to becoming both the biggest movie star of the decade, as well as his generation. He received his first Academy Award nomination the very next year for What's Eating Gilbert Grape and eventually went on to star in the career-defining film, Titanic. Since then, Leo has painted a careful image as a humble, if not a slightly reclusive star, but that wasn't always the case.
While speaking with Variety, Cameron recalled how "When Leo came in he charmed everybody, including me. And I said, 'All right, let's see what his chemistry is like with Kate.' But then he said, 'Wait, you mean I have to audition by reading? Because I don't read.'"
Cameron explained how at that time, he firmly shook Leo's hand, thanked him for coming in, and showed him the door.
Cameron attempted to convey to Leo that the sheer size and scale of Titanic was massive and that since he planned on dedicating a minimum of two years of his life to the project — he was damn well going to ensure that he had the right man for the job. In the end, Leo reluctantly agreed to read the script, opposite his co-star Kate Winslet, and the chemistry between the two was like watching lightning in a bottle, according to Cameron.
"Every ounce of his being was so negative, right up until I said, 'Action!' At that point he became Jack," Cameron said. The Oscar-winning director attributes much of the success of the film to its star, Kate Winslet, who had an inexplicable way of getting Leo out of his funk.
In the end, Titanic went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of all time. It cleaned up at the Oscars and remains to this day as one of the most iconic and revered films of all time.
