Texas Star Matthew McConaughey Was Almost Cast in 'Titanic'

By now, we all know how Titanic ends, right? Rose says "I'll never let you go" and then proceeds to let Jack go! Now, try to imagine if at that moment, Jack said "alright alright alright". Okay, maybe he wouldn't have said that, but Jack would have definitely had a Texas accent if this iconic star had been cast instead!

Turns out, before Leo made Jack Dawson iconic, a Texas legend was in the running, and thanks to a new memoir, we’re finally hearing what really went down!

Texas Favorite Matthew McConaughey Could Have Been in Titanic

According to The Bigger Picture, a posthumous memoir by Titanic producer Jon Landau, Matthew McConaughey auditioned for the role alongside Kate Winslet. The goal was to test for on-screen chemistry, and by all accounts, the Texas-born actor brought plenty of charm. But during the audition, a moment of creative tension between McConaughey and director James Cameron may have sealed his fate, ultimately leading to Leonardo DiCaprio landing the now-iconic role.

Landau writes that McConaughey delivered his lines with his signature Texas drawl that we all love and immediately recognize, which definitely stood out. While Kate Winslet was reportedly "taken" with his presence and delivery, James Cameron asked him to try the scene again, but this time without the accent. But McConaughey didn’t budge, simply saying

No. That was pretty good. Thanks.

That moment brought the audition to an abrupt end. That one moment may have been the reason the Texas native missed his chance to board the Titanic as Jack Dawson.

McConaughey talked about his audition, and cleared up a rumor about his audition, a few years ago on What What Happens Live.

Notice how he didn't mention the accent thing?

Turns out, even DiCaprio didn’t exactly make things easy for Cameron. When he was brought in for a screen test with Kate Winslet, the young actor reportedly refused to read lines but the director wasn’t having it. He told DiCaprio that if he didn’t read, he wouldn’t get the part. Reluctantly, Leo agreed, and once the camera started rolling, everything clicked, they had found their Jack.

While it’s hard to imagine anyone but DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, it’s wild to think how different Titanic could’ve been with a Texas twist. Matthew McConaughey went on to build an iconic career of his own, but this behind-the-scenes “what if” adds a whole new layer to Hollywood legend!