Some casting decisions fall into place so completely, they really feel like they have been meant to occur all alongside. Leonardo DiCaprio moving into the position of Jack Dawson in Titanic sits proper up there with essentially the most seamless ones. You watch it now, and it’s laborious to image anybody else sketching Kate Winslet or shouting from the ship’s bow like he owns the ocean. However the half didn’t land in his lap with no few bumps.
Leonardo DiCaprio: Hollywood’s Younger Star With Requirements At The Time
DiCaprio was solely 21 when Titanic got here alongside and was already a drive to be reckoned with. He’d squared off with Robert De Niro (This Boy’s Life), caught Sharon Stone’s consideration (The Fast and the Useless), and picked up an Oscar nod for What’s Consuming Gilbert Grape. For him, incomes crucial reward was not new, and he wasn’t eager on auditions anymore.
So, when James Cameron recommended a display take a look at, DiCaprio bristled. Perhaps he thought he’d outgrown them, or maybe he thought the position wanted him greater than the opposite approach round. The actor ultimately agreed, however that didn’t imply he got here quietly. He and his father had learn the script and determined Jack wanted one thing extra. Not an entire rewrite, however a heavier emotional hook, one thing darkish in his previous or a wound to make him really feel acquainted.
James Cameron Pushed Again Towards Leonardo DiCaprio’s Thought
Cameron wasn’t shopping for it. He needed Jack to be easy and stable with out the type of efficiency that leaned on ache or battle to do the heavy lifting. Leonardo DiCaprio had mastered these roles already, however this was one thing else.
In accordance with Far Out Journal, the director used a reverse psychology approach and advised DiCaprio, “Look, you’ve executed all of those nice characters that every one have an issue. [Y]ou’ve gotta learn to maintain the centre and never have all that stuff.” And to show his level, Cameron leaned in and challenged the younger actor’s delight, framing the position as a distinct type of take a look at that didn’t depend on afflictions or backstories.
James Cameron, Titanic setinde Leonardo Dicaprio ve Kate Winslet ile konuşuyor. pic.twitter.com/GDJXHH0BY9
— Moviewa (@wannamovie) August 5, 2019
The Problem That Clicked
Effectively! That hit the appropriate nerve. “The second I stated that, it clicked for him that this was a extremely laborious, difficult movie for him,” the director stated. DiCaprio knew he was not in search of consolation however headed for a problem as an alternative. Cameron made it clear that taking part in Jack meant moving into the type of display presence owned by actors like Gregory Peck or Jimmy Stewart, which DiCaprio understood. He knew the position wasn’t small as a result of it lacked trauma; it was more durable due to it.
In hindsight, it’s straightforward to overlook that Hollywood, on the time, was rewarding performers who leaned into extremes. One 12 months, it was Jack Nicholson with obsessive-compulsive dysfunction (As Good as It Will get). One other was Geoffrey Rush with a nervous breakdown (Shine). Then there was Nicolas Cage, throwing himself into the abyss of a suicidal drunk (Leaving Las Vegas). Performances like these got here with apparent indicators of depth. However right here was Cameron asking DiCaprio to strip all of that away and nonetheless ship one thing unforgettable.
For extra such tales, take a look at Hollywood Information
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