The producer of Titanic has revealed that Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey got here near enjoying Jack Dawson within the 1997 blockbuster — however one cussed element stored him from touchdown the half. In his upcoming memoir The Larger Image, late producer Jon Landau recalled that whereas Matthew gave a robust audition, it was his refusal to drop his Texas accent that in the end price him the function.
“We introduced him in to do a scene with Kate (Winslet),” Jon wote in an excerpt printed by Puck. “You wish to verify for chemistry — not simply how individuals look on movie, however how they work together.” In keeping with Jon, Kate — who had already been solid as Rose — was impressed. “Kate was taken with Matthew, his presence and appeal,” he added.
However director James Cameron wasn’t totally satisfied. “Matthew did the scene with the drawl,” Landau wrote. “‘That’s nice,’ mentioned Jim (Cameron). ‘Now let’s attempt it a distinct means.’ Matthew mentioned, ‘No. That was fairly good. Thanks.’ Let’s simply say, that was it for McConaughey,” he wrote additional.
The actor has spoken over time about how a lot he needed the function — and the way assured he felt about his audition. “I needed that,” he had advised The Hollywood Reporter in 2018. “I auditioned with Kate Winslet. Had audition. Walked away from there fairly assured that I had it. I didn’t get it. I by no means received provided that,” he had added.
In 2021, he mentioned the expertise on Actually! with Rob Lowe: “I went and skim with Kate Winslet, and it was not one of many auditions — they filmed it so it was like into display screen take a look at time… it was a kind of ones the place they, like, adopted me… ‘That went nice.’ I imply, form of, like, hugs. I actually thought it was going to occur. It didn’t.”
“I requested Cameron about this,” he mentioned of rumors that he had turned the half down. “Not factual. I didn’t get provided that function.” Matthew joked, “For some time, I used to be saying, ‘I gotta discover that agent. They’re in bother.’ I didn’t ever get the provide.”