WHAT IF

Matthew McConaughey lost Titanic’s main role to Leonardo DiCaprio for this surprising reason

Despite rumors, McConaughey maintains he was never actually offered the part.

AUGUST 6, 2025 2:31 PM EDTAUG 6, 2025, 2:31 PM EDT

Before Titanic shattered box office records and turned Leonardo DiCaprio into a household name, another star was circling the role of Jack Dawson, and it was none other than Matthew McConaughey. But according to a new memoir, it wasn’t talent or looks that cost him the part. It was his refusal to let go of his Southern drawl.

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The revelation comes from 'The Bigger Picture,' a forthcoming posthumous memoir by Titanic producer Jon Landau, shared in Matthew Belloni’s 'What I’m Hearing' newsletter. Landau recalls McConaughey as a serious contender for the iconic role, even filming a chemistry read with Kate Winslet.

Matthew McConaughey in 1996 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences — Matthew McConaughey in the mid-1990s, around the time he auditioned for Titanic

“Kate was taken with Matthew, his presence and charm,” Landau wrote. But charm wasn’t enough. McConaughey reportedly auditioned with his Texas accent, prompting a reaction from director James Cameron. “That’s great,” Cameron told him, “now let’s try it a different way.”

What could’ve been McConaughey’s moment became DiCaprio’s legacy.

McConaughey wasn’t interested in doing it differently. “No. That was pretty good. Thanks,” he allegedly replied. And that was the end of the line. “Let’s just say, that was it for McConaughey,” Landau added.

The Texas-born actor came close to playing Jack Dawson in Titanic.

The part of Jack eventually went to Leonardo DiCaprio, a move that not only helped define Titanic's legacy but also launched DiCaprio into superstardom, but the casting decision was not as simple.

In a 2022 GQ interview, Cameron recalled DiCaprio initially refusing to read lines, saying, “Oh, I don’t read.” The director made it clear: no read, no role, and as Cameron put it, “Kate just lit up … dark clouds had opened up and a ray of sun came down and lit up Jack.”

Kate Winslet, who played Rose, reportedly felt instant chemistry with McConaughey during auditions.

McConaughey has addressed his what-if before. On Rob Lowe’s podcast 'Literally! with Rob Lowe' in 2021, he shared, “I went and read with Kate Winslet, and it was not one of the auditions — they filmed it so it was like into screen test time.”

Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, a role that became career-defining.

He added, “After we left, you know, it was one of those ones where they, like, followed me, and when we got outside, they were like, ‘That went great.’ I mean, kind of, like, hugs. I really thought it was going to happen. It did not.”

Director James Cameron made the final call, and McConaughey’s accent was a dealbreaker.

Despite rumors, McConaughey maintains he was never actually offered the part. “I asked Cameron about this, because the gossip over the years that I heard and would see written about me was that I had the role in Titanic and turned it down,” he said. “Not factual. I did not get offered that role.”