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Matthew McConaughey is setting the record straight about why he did not get the lead role of Jack Dawson in the 1997 blockbuster movie “Titanic.”
During an appearance on Hello Sunshine’s “The Bright Side” podcast, the 55-year-old actor was asked about past claims that he turned down an offer to play Jack in the Oscar-winning movie because he refused to change his Southern accent.
“That’s rumor,” the Texas native said. “There was never any discussion about an accent or anything.”
Matthew McConaughey reveals why he didn’t get the lead role of Jack in “Titanic.” (Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images; CBS via Getty Images)
McConaughey explained the reason that he didn’t end up playing Jack was simple.
MATTHEW MCONAUGHEY LOST OUT ON ‘TITANIC’ ROLE AFTER REFUSING DIRECTOR’S REQUEST: BOOK
“I just didn’t get the job,” he said.
In an excerpt of “Titanic” producer Jon Landau’s upcoming posthumous memoir, “The Bigger Picture,” obtained by Matthew Belloni’s What I’m Hearing newsletter, the late producer recalled McConaughey’s audition for the role of Jack opposite Kate Winslet, who played the female lead role of Rose DeWitt Bukater.
“We brought him in to do a scene with Kate [Winslet]. You want to check for chemistry — not just how people look on film, but how they interact,” Landau wrote. “Kate was taken with Matthew, his presence and charm. Matthew did the scene with the drawl.”
According to the book, after McConaughey completed the scene in his signature Texas accent, director James Cameron told the actor, “That’s great, now let’s try it a different way,” to which the actor allegedly responded, “No. That was pretty good. Thanks.”
“Let’s just say, that was it for McConaughey,” Landau recalled in the book.
McConaughey explained that he was never offered the role. (Getty Images)
McConaughey has spoken about his audition process for the film in the past, telling Rob Lowe during a 2021 appearance on his podcast, “Literally! With Rob Lowe,” in which he debunked rumors that he had been offered the part but rejected it.
“Not factual,” he said. “I did not get offered that role.”
While appearing on “The Bright Side” podcast, McConaughey remembered thinking that he had won the role at the time.
“I had a great read with Kate Winslet and the producers,” he recalled of auditioning with the actress, now 50.
“I felt pretty confident that maybe I’d landed it. But I didn’t,” McConaughey said.
The role famously went to Leonardo DiCaprio. ( CBS via Getty Images)
The “Dazed and Confused” star remembered previously hearing that Cameron said he did get the part.
“I think it was Jim Cameron that somewhere along the way, in some presser, said something like, ‘Yeah, McConaughey had the job but whatever, didn’t take it,'” he said.
McConaughey recalled that he approached Cameron to confirm he was never offered the part.
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“I was like, ‘Let me know, Jim. I don’t remember that ever happening. I thought I got the job but I never got offered that job. Did you say that?’ And we got that cleared up,” McConaughey said.
“I was also like, ‘Because if I did, I need to call my agent ’cause they owe me a lot! Did they turn it down for me? Because I never got offered that to turn it down,'” he added.
Kate Winslet starred as the female lead, Rose Dewitt Bukater. (CBS via Getty Images)
After being asked if he had really wanted the role and had been disappointed by not getting it, McConaughey said “I wanted it, but, I mean, there’s plenty of jobs out there that I wanted to get that I didn’t get.”
The role famously went to Leonardo DiCaprio, who had made a name for himself in films such as “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” and “Romeo + Juliet” beforehand. However, his role as Jack Dawson led him to become an international star and teen heartthrob. DiCaprio was reportedly paid $2.5 million to star in the movie, while Winslet earned $2 million.
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Winslet, who went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Rose Dewitt Bukater, recalled auditioning with McConaughey while on “The Late Show” in 2017, calling his audition “completely fantastic,” but admitted the movie would have been different if he was cast, adding “It just wouldn’t have been the whole ‘Jack and Rose, Kate and Leo’ thing.”
“Titanic” became a box office phenomenon after its release. (Getty Images)
After its 1997 release, “Titanic” became a blockbuster phenomenon with a worldwide haul of $1.84 billion. The movie also made awards history, receiving 14 Academy Awards nominations and winning 11, including best picture and best director for Cameron.
While McConaughey did miss out on starring in the epic love story, McConaughey’s career did not suffer. He went on to win an Academy Award for his role in “Dallas Buyers Club” and was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on season one of “True Detective.”
McConaughey and DiCaprio co-starred in 2013’s “The Wolf of Wall Street,” which was widely acclaimed and received five Academy Award nominations.
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