Titanic producer Jon Landau has revealed why Matthew McConaughey did not land the iconic role of Jack Dawson, despite what many considered a strong audition.
In his upcoming memoir ‘The Bigger Picture’, the late Oscar-winning producer recounted how McConaughey came close to starring in James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster — but one detail ultimately cost him the part: his refusal to drop his Texan accent.
“We brought him in to do a scene with Kate [Winslet],” Landau wrote in an excerpt published by Puck. “You want to check for chemistry — not just how people look on film, but how they interact.”
According to Landau, Kate — who had already been cast as Rose — was impressed by McConaughey. “Kate was taken with Matthew, his presence and charm,” he added.
However, director James Cameron was not fully convinced. “Matthew did the scene with the drawl,” Landau recalled. “‘That’s great,’ said Jim. ‘Now let’s try it a different way.’ Matthew said, ‘No. That was pretty good. Thanks.’ Let’s just say, that was it for McConaughey.”